


Since Always

by MadamMidnight



Category: One Piece
Genre: Angst and Feels, Angst and Porn, Idiots in Love, M/M, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-09
Updated: 2019-07-28
Packaged: 2020-02-28 20:32:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 22,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18763687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MadamMidnight/pseuds/MadamMidnight
Summary: Ace made sure he spent all his birthdays with Sanji. What will happen when this year things are not quite what they usually are, but they are catastrophically amazing?





	1. Shock

**Author's Note:**

> This story has been with me for a while now (I. It all began when I read the 100th fanfiction in which Ace and Sanji had been sorta together, but not really, and now either Ace was replaced by Zoro or Sanji by Marco and I just didn't want that anymore. I understand if this couple is not of your liking, I honestly have always loved them but the fics for them are so scarce it makes me wanna cry (However there are some of them that are soooo good). I remember seeing the first time they met in the manga and the moment in the anime where Sanji was washing the dishes... there was... chemistry, sorta. I don't know, I just like them.
> 
> So, this is a fic for Ace and Sanji. In which they do end up together. Or sorta? Ok, but they are definitely not replaced by anyone. 
> 
> Or they are? 
> 
> (I'm so bluffing right now... Or am I?)
> 
>  
> 
> Remember that the only thing that is mine is the senseless mind that plots the stories inside my head, the rest comes from the great and amazing Oda who keeps making me cry.

 

 

 

~-.O.-~

 

 

 

 

He was expecting the six-pack of his favorite beer; he was definitely looking forward to the perfect dinner with a T-bone steak, the delicious mashed potatoes, the excellent gravy and the greatest double chocolate cake he had ever tasted in his life. He wanted to see Raging Bull, his favorite movie of all time; he was craving for the longer-than-usual hug that always made his head spin, he had been hoping that this year he could fall asleep on that strong chest while his hair was combed and twisted through long fingers just like last year.

 

But he was definitely not expecting that the pair of lips that always teased him about being an idiot would be on him, soft and violent, precise and desperate as he had always wanted them. A hot tongue plundering his mouth and meeting his in the most exquisite way; fighting for dominance, then submitting, and then fighting again, it was intoxicating. That hot hard body always so far away, always touching it to a minimum was now being mapped by his very own hands through the soft white silk the blond used from time to time.

 

He didn’t understand it, was not even expecting any of this to be real, probably he fell asleep on his food again and if he was lucky enough, those long fingers would be in his hair by the moment he wakes up. But then the lithe body shifted and the strongest hips he had ever met grounded on his groin, making him moan like a wanton whore.

 

 

_Oh, this has to be real, please let it be real._

 

 

Soft lips were on his jaw, trailing a path towards his neck, he almost moaned again when he felt teeth at the soft skin just right under his ear. He buried his hands in golden hair and let out a breath when strong hands found their way under his shirt, slowly lifting the soft cotton while a hungry tongue lapped at his neck.

 

He was about to lose it like he had never lost it before, he knew it. But he couldn’t, he needed to stop this before it was too late. He wanted to say it, to yell it, but all that came out of his mouth, out of his mind was what he really needed to know.

 

 

“Why?” he managed to breathe out while gripping the blond’s sides trying to hold the last pieces of his sanity “Sanji, why are you doing this?”

 

 

He felt a soft sigh on his neck and he was trying to do his best to slow down his heartbeat when mesmerizing blue eyes looked at him with uncertainty, those eyes had always been one of his weakest points and the disheveled blond hair, the frantic breathing and the fascinating color of those abused lips were doing nothing to help him with his heart beating problems. Automatically, his tongue ran over his lower lip, trying to catch the lingering flavor and he almost lost it again when he saw how Sanji looked at his lips hungrily.

 

But the man visibly shook himself, trying to focus and suddenly there was panic written on his features “I’m sorry” his voice was raw and hoarse “I’m sorry, Ace. I shouldn’t have I—“ He was trying to lift himself from the larger man’s lap, but strong hands kept him in place.

 

“Don’t apologize, tell me why” he grabbed the blond’s hips, bringing him closer, doing his best not to act on this chance, on this one of a lifetime opportunity. His hands were trembling as they held to the object of his desire, charged with anticipation of what was being so obviously offered, but he had to know first. Did the blond drink too much? Did he think this was funny? Whatever it was he was sure it was never going to happen again.

 

Sanji was resolutely looking at anywhere but him and he crossed his arms while looking at his side. Ace decided to pull the lithe body closer to him, bringing his arms around him almost protectively and he felt how the blond jumped when he placed his lips on the blond's neck.

 

"Please” He did not like the sound of his voice or his complete lack of control, but Sanji’s long neck being exposed and so close was too tempting. He pressed his lips again and breathed in the blond’s essence, engraving it into his memory. “Please tell me, please” He didn’t care, if he was begging Sanji could not give him the cold shoulder, not this time.

 

The blond turned slowly and Ace had to catch his breath when he saw the emotions painted on Sanji’s face. Those eyes were filled with sadness and desperation, longing and guilt.

 

 

Sanji decided to go with the simple answer, one that was true but not completely “I did it because I like you, dumbass” He ran a hand through jet-black hair, so soft and thick, he had always loved the sensation of it.

 

 

And because it had to be a joke, and because he was nine since the first time he laid eyes on the blond, totally unaware that it was going to make his life a living hell when he was 13, he hissed without thinking.

 

“Bullshit!” His eyes were big with surprise and the blond smiled at seeing how adorable the older man looked like that, but after a few seconds he felt a pull at his forehead, and his usual frown was in place because he felt ridiculously annoyed, something the black haired idiot managed to do in a daily basis.

 

 

“Of course I’m serious you dick-head” what did this asshole think?

 

“What do you think? That I kiss dudes in my free time?” And in this particular case, such male specimen happened to be him? His best friend of all time? Was he an idiot?

 

 

Ace was perplexed, forget the fact that he was thinking in all the time he lost trying to get over Sanji or the fact that he might be the first man the blond ever kissed, there was one important detail he needed to know, a vital one:

 

“Since when?” He searched for Sanji’s eyes and saw the steady blue gaze directed at him, calm and sure, and for a moment he was staring at the ocean, the multitude of blues surrounding him, filling him with peace and stealing the air out of his lungs. Sanji was so beautiful and without even trying he had his scars bleeding out, he felt the tilt in his life just like when he first learned about his feelings for the blond. It felt like everything was about to turn upside down.

 

 

 

Sanji sighed one more time while he watched wavy hair slip from his grasp. “Since always, idiot, since always” he said with a fond smile, trying to keep his composure, he was about to say his most important secret to his most important person “Since the day I met you and since today. Since the day you hugged me while I cried at my dad’s funeral and since the day you tasted the first double chocolate cake I ever made to you” there was a pause, and all of a sudden the warm smile disappeared and Ace saw blue eyes filling with tears and for a moment he felt like all this time he had been missing something, he hadn’t been paying enough attention a feeling of foreboding that felt cold in the pit of his stomach, whatever Sanji was about to say it will be his doom.

 

Sanji closed his eyes and the tears ran freely across his pale cheeks, he swallowed, trying to be ready for what he was about to say and directed his gaze towards Ace “I’ve loved you since the day we started living in this department and since the moment you left to start your life with Marco.”

 

 

 

And it was like finally hearing his name broke the remaining pieces of a dream. Of course, Marco, of course, a million times of course. How could he be so stupid? How he could be so selfish? Forgetting the commitment with the one he loved. Because he loved him, right? Of course he did, of course… of course.

 

 

 

Sanji sensed his best friend’s realization; he had been a complete idiot. What the fuck was he thinking? That Ace will suddenly forget that he had a boyfriend? A three-year-old relationship? A supposedly super straight best friend? 

 

What, what was he expecting?

 

 

 

_That he loved you back?_

 

 

 

He felt more tears welling in his eyes, threatening to spill over his pride. He couldn’t let Ace see him like this; he couldn’t let him see the complete disaster he had become. This was a mistake and he was the biggest fool on planet earth.

 

“I’m sorry, Ace, I’m sorry” he told himself his voice didn’t tremble, he told himself he could still watch how Jake becomes a boxing champion and ruins his life because of his jealousy and terrible decisions, just one more time, very likely to be the last one, but he needed to do it, just to feel Ace falling asleep on his shoulder.

 

He tried to stand up, to separate himself from the comfortable heat Ace’s body always seemed to have, but those hands reached his face, Sanji closed his eyes for a moment taking in the feel of calloused hands, they were so firm but held him so delicately. He felt rough thumbs brushing his cheeks where the tears began to fall again and he opened his eyes at such a tender gesture.

 

 

 

“Sanji” He caught another tear with his thumb, softly smearing it away against the pale skin. He felt a strong pang at his chest when he looked those blue eyes filled with such sadness, and for a moment he was sure he was going to break down and cry as well, but he needed his emotions in check right now, Sanji was more important. It had always been.

 

 

“Sanji, this is not your fault”  _It’s mine._

 

 

A sob bloomed from the blond’s chest and broke Ace’s last defense, he brought his arms around the lighter frame and felt his heart breaking as Sanji cried on his shoulder. He buried his face in golden hair and wished he could have been braver, that somehow he could travel back in time and take the chance that slipped through his fingers.

 

He remembered the night he had realized how hard he had fallen for Sanji, how confused he had felt, only sixteen and had never in his life ever considered a guy as a soul mate. But it made sense though, with Sanji it made sense, everything did. He remembered how everything became more difficult after that, seeing him flirting with girls, dating with girls, everything he wanted to do with him with  _girls_. It had been a rough couple of years until, of course, he met Marco and thought all these feelings had been buried and replaced. They  _should_  have been buried and replaced.

 

He sighed and ran a hand through the silky hair that he loved seeing under the sunshine, this was so fucking unfair, why had everything happened so late? He was with Marco now and there was no way that something could happen between them anymore. Shit, he was in love! Wasn’t he? Wait— Why is he even doubting this? Of course he loved Marco! There was nothing more important than—

 

 

The sudden laughter that came from the blond was as unexpected as everything else that night. For a moment Ace felt pure panic as he thought that everything had been the blond’s idea of a joke until he heard that there wasn’t a single trace of humor in his friend’s laughter.

 

 

“I’m so sorry Ace, seriously” oh, but there was humor in this whole situation, he was such a pathetic mess of emotions that it was hilarious how he still managed to normally function as a human being. “I’m sorry I had to be like this in your birthday, this one has to be the worst so far” He whipped his face against his friend’s shoulder and felt how strong hands ran soothing patterns along his back, there were words whispered against his neck, telling him that this was not his fault but he could barely understand them. What mattered right now was Ace’s soft voice, his strong hands against his back, how warm he felt against his chest, how safe he felt.

 

Ace didn’t push him as he expected, he never told him about the boundaries that obviously existed between them, he never reminded him that they could never be and for that he was thankful. His tears were retreating already, leaving almost as fast as they came, only Ace could do this to him, nobody calmed him so easily. He knew the moment Ace left the apartment he was going to be a mess again, but right now, between his arms, everything was fine and the entire world smelled like Ace’s shampoo and cologne.

 

He turned his head and felt how Ace’s breath hitched at the movement, his lips were so close now, but he knew they were unreachable, he was more than sure now. “I’m sorry” he whispered one more time, “I should never have done that, I—“ but then he was silenced by warm lips that kissed his forehead in a gesture so tender he felt crying again.

 

“There’s nothing to be sorry about” he felt how strong fingers held his chin and made him look up to bright and kind eyes, they were filled with so much love, with so much care. “Please, don’t regret this, because—“ he saw him pause, he saw the way his eyes traveled down to his lips and the movement his throat did when he swallowed “Because I don’t.”

 

And this was hell for Sanji, the way Ace was looking at him and how close they were and God! The way Ace never realized how his voice sounded when he was speaking low, trying to comfort him, it was so alluring and sexy. These were details that were sinking way too fast and the impulse he felt to just kiss him, to stop the time within those lips was so strong it was making him dizzy. But he wouldn’t, he had to move now, before it was impossible for him to stop.

 

 

 

The blond placed a hand on Ace’s chest, trying to move away, escaping before it was too late. But he was too slow; Ace had seen the shine in those blue eyes, the way Sanji’s teeth bit against his lower lip, containing it, restricting it. Sanji wanted him, he wanted him so bad. And well, Ace had wanted Sanji basically his whole life.

 

Ace reached for that pale hand, pulling slightly to let the blond know he wasn’t going anywhere. Blue eyes looked at him confused and with the same determination that had made him accept his feelings, knowing they will never be reciprocated until now, he spoke at his best friend “Do you remember when I turned sixteen?”

 

 

The question was so out of the blue that he had to blink twice and then still ask out loud “What?”

 

“My sixteenth birthday, do you remember it?” there was no trace of impatience in his voice, Sanji could see his smile was as kind as always and his eyes were brighter than usual, he could also feel the beating of his heart in his throat but that was a different story.

 

“Of course I remember it—" he said in a rush “—you wanted to go to this party Thatch had planned for you and I was an asshole and didn’t want you to go” he lets out a soft snort at how dramatic he had been “I didn’t want you to leave me alone because I didn’t speak to any of your friends…” he paused for a while, remembering that weird night “… or anyone but you” Yeah, it was no surprise he had fallen for Ace, really. The only surprise here was how stupid he had been for not saying anything before.

 

“And I stayed with you” was the soft reply the blond heard. He looked up from the interesting spot he had been staring on the couch to Ace’s eyes and saw that smile again, that smile that could melt sorrows and the worst days in his life.

 

He felt the corners of his lips lifting up as well and the heat of his cheeks that he was trying to ignore as he said “I never understood why you put up with me that night, I was so sure you were going to tell me to just fuck off.” He hated how embarrassed he sounded.

 

 

 

“Well—“ for a brief moment he thought this was going to be easier now that he knew how Sanji felt, but for some reason, it made it even more difficult. Perhaps because he had the guts of saying it first? Long fingers brushed the side of his head, threading his hair across the pale digits, something Sanji did from time to time when they were alone, something Ace had always enjoyed because it wasn’t often enough he did it.

 

“Well?” the raspy baritone asks him.

 

He closes his eyes and briefly leans towards the blond’s touch, he grabs that pale hand and brings it to his lips. When he opens his eyes he is sure of his words. “Well, I stayed with you because I was madly in love with you” the sentence for some reason feels odd in his mouth, but he keeps talking “And at that moment there was really nowhere else I wanted to be if you were not going to be there” he kisses Sanji’s hand one more time and hears the soft inhale of air the blond takes.

 

His eyes look bigger than usual and his mouth is slightly parted, he looks younger and as surprised as he looked that same night when he told him he was going to stay with him.

 

“I did a promise with you that night” and this time they grin at the same time and Ace can see how those blue eyes sparkle and for a stupid moment he feels absurdly proud that he has placed those emotions there, feelings that are still alive even after all these years.

 

“I told you that in every single one of my birthdays, was going to be only you and me.” He sees Sanji nodding slowly and the smile the blond is wearing reaches his eyes. There’s an urge crashing within Ace, pulling and ripping him apart and it is as powerful as the waves were that night. Ace could still hear them, they reminded him of home.

 

“You held my hand that night” Sanji’s voice is almost amazed, like if he’s finally connecting the dots.

 

 

“I did.” Ace gives him that absurdly adorable grin so characteristic of him.

 

“And then Thatch came looking for us at the beach and you pushed me!” He pokes Ace lightly on the chest and the other man laughs and because of that, he pokes him one more time.

 

“Stop poking me!” he was trying to show it didn’t hurt and was failing badly. “I was trying to protect your suave image!”

 

“You got sand on my hair!” Sanji’s poking gets more vicious and there’s actually some pinching and Ace retaliates by grabbing the blond’s waist and tackles him on the couch while he tickles him, something he was pretty good at.

 

Sanji is doing his best to contain his laughter but it’s impossible. Ace has years of experience tickling him and he just gives up while the laughter bubbles out of his chest, it's loud and rich and one of the best sounds in the world in Ace’s opinion, golden locks fly in every direction as Sanji struggles. He stops and sees how the blond tries to recover while he wipes the tears out of his eyes.

 

 

“We are so stupid” was Ace’s brilliant conclusion.

 

 

“Practically brainless” the blond concludes as well, while he moves some hair out of his eyes.

 

 

When those blue eyes look up to see him, he feels something constricting in his chest, there was something that Ace always loved when he tickled Sanji and that was not only his laughter but the blond’s after-image. The golden hair ended up being a mess and his cheeks would be rosy, and good god his  _eyes_ , would be livid and a clear blue just like the one he was looking at right now.

 

 

“Ace” the raspy baritone calls, and he knows what he’s trying to tell him, it’s almost a warning but it’s also a plea. He feels that pull again, the thrashing within him almost drowning him and he can’t stop.

 

 

 

He doesn’t want to stop.

 

 

 

Sanji’s lips are soft and sweet, he feels elated the second those talented hands dive in his hair to angle him better and he’s lost the moment he feels Sanji’s tongue teasing him. He is sixteen again and just had the best birthday cake ever and now he is kissing his best friend on the beach in a moment that Thatch never had the opportunity to interrupt.

 

 

The kiss this time is not that forceful, not that desperate, but it’s still intense, filled with passion and desire, each kiss feels like a wave in Ace’s chest, like a breath he never took, like the last thing he is going to do. He feels those hands framing his face, mapping his jaw and cheeks, like if they want to bring him closer than he already is, and somehow they do.

 

He had never felt like this before, his heart throbs, his whole body is trembling and his mind is lost. He moves his hips slowly, deliciously grinding them between Sanji’s legs, such a delicious friction that sends electricity to both bodies and it makes them moan. Sanji throws his head back and Ace kisses the pale flesh at the side of his neck, for him the taste is exquisite and it gets better when he opens three buttons and bits at the collarbone. The blond growls and Ace almost howl when he feels the pressure of Sanji’s thighs against his hips as he makes him ground them one more time, this time more forceful and he can feel the blond’s erection against his.

 

He feels strong legs preparing another move but he stops it pushing himself up to his elbows and separating himself slightly from the blond.

 

“Let’s take this to the bedroom—” he breathes out, he sees the blond man arching one of those curly eyebrows at him that he secretly finds adorable, he knows Sanji is making a question, and in this situation he can only blurt out the truth “I don’t want to have you the first time on the couch.”

 

But the truth seems okay since Sanji blushes and lets out a tiny sigh. He pulls him for a kiss and Ace can feel strong hands traveling down his spine, dipping around the small of his back and gripping right at his ass. Those hands push him towards the open body underneath and Ace has to break the kiss as he shudders.

 

There is sweat running down his neck that a sweet tongue collects, he feels those soft lips connecting with his skin and fuck, he now understands all those girls that fell in love with this guy “It’s your birthday Ace” he feels Sanji inhaling his essence and he bits softly at his ear lobe “Tonight I’m yours.” And  _God_ , he probably could come right  _now_ , that sexy, raspy baritone daring to say such words, it was almost too much.

 

Ace couldn’t even come up with an answer, his brain had stopped and right now the desire was what moved him. He grabbed the blond’s hips and without much effort lifted him from the couch, those strong legs took hold at his waist and Ace turned around searching for the blond’s bed.

 

He managed two long strides before finding a wall first and he might have cracked the blond’s head but he didn’t seem concerned when he attacked those abused lips, the new leverage made things easier for Ace when he decided to grind Sanji against the wall and the action made him moan deliciously against his lips. He managed to undo another three buttons and when he flicked the other man’s nipple he arched his back against the wall and he saw that pale skin glistening with sweat.

 

Ace wanted to take one of those rosy nipples with his mouth but the blond growled against his lips a single word: “Bed” and he agreed, so he separated himself from the wall, carrying him along the hall that connected with the bedroom’s door that ended up hitting Sanji’s back. This time, however, the angle was perfect when he pushed his hips against the blond and the way their hard-ons aligned made Ace see lights behind his closed eyelids and made his hands forget what they were looking when he was touching the surface of the door.

 

 

It was Sanji the one that found the door’s knob and it was Ace’s reflexes that saved them from falling, but it was a miracle that both of them were still making out without much interruption. Ace knew where the bed was, he had been here before, but that was not the reason why he didn’t drop the blond the moment his knees touched the edge of the bed.

 

 

This was going to be their first time, Ace was not going to drop one of the most important persons in his life like if this was going to be some one night stand, no matter how the situation indicated just that. He placed a hand on Sanji’s small back and slowly and oh-so-carefully he leaned down towards the bed, placing him above the soft surface. Sanji’s legs still around his waist and their kissing was somehow slower and more controlled than it had been moments ago.

 

 

Sanji ended their kiss with a soft peck and took in Ace’s image. He ran his fingertips over that adorable splash of freckles that he loved so much, they were highlighted by the other man’s blushed cheeks and the moonlight played shadows along his face that made him look even sexier than he already was. He ran his hands through messy black hair taking in every detail.

 

 

“Have you done this before?” Ace was barely handling the way Sanji was looking at him. He felt like squirming the way Chopper did when you gave him a compliment. Except that what Sanji’s eyes were telling him was way more than a mere compliment.

 

Sanji shook his head slowly while he traced his fingertips against the raven-haired lips, his mind entranced by the abused color they were using right now “No.” Ace’s lips had gotten like that while kissing him “I have never done it with another guy before.” They were swollen as well and Sanji bit his lower bit at the mere thought of having these lips around his cock.

 

Ace swallowed while he grabbed the blond’s hand gently. It was amazing what the blond could do to him with a simple touch “I’ll do it slowly” he promises “Just tell me to stop if I’m hurting you”

 

Sanji smirked in a way that made him feel even hotter “Well, that doesn’t mean I have never actually done it—“ those eyes gave him a once over and that whisper was something he was going to remember for the rest of his life “—by myself.”

 

The tremor that ran through Ace’s spine felt like an earthquake inside his body, he had never wanted someone else like this before. “I think I might die here” he confessed out loud as he heard Sanji’s soft chuckle “But I need to prepare you before, I seriously don’t want to hurt you and—“ He was cut off by Sanji stretching his arm to reach something underneath his pillow, he pulled out a small container that made something click in the raven-haired head.

 

 

Oh my God, that’s lube. Oh for God’s sake, Sanji had actually done this by himself before….  _Oh._

 

 

His cock twitched and it felt constricted against his jeans, he started to kiss the blond, hard and desperately. Sanji’s lips understood the impatience and they returned as much as they got, teeth pulled and tongues got messy. Ace felt a pull at his collar and then another one around his waist as Sanji not so gently tried to remove his shirt. He decided to make the blond a favor as he removed it by himself, his whole chest exposed now and he felt another shiver across his spine as he looked down at the blond’s eyes.

 

Sanji was delicious, always. But seeing him with his white shirt unbuttoned, his hair such a mess and those blue eyes hungry for him made him salivate. He felt Sanji’s hands gripping his thighs as they ascended slowly towards the prize. Ace let out a loud breath as Sanji gripped his hard-on through his jeans and gave one harsh stroke.

 

The zipper was in the way and also the whole piece of fabric that needed just to go the fuck away, but the movement plus those molten eyes were fucking  _hot_  and Ace’s cock throbbed. He was about to dive into the blond’s mouth again but Sanji met him halfway, practically smashing their mouths together as he straightened himself and grabbed two handfuls of his ass while he positioned him over his lap. The movement brought their cocks together and Ace moaned at the friction.

 

Sanji kissed his chin while he kept a bruising grip at Ace’s well-formed cheeks “There’s something I want to do before we fuck—” he whispered against tan skin and Ace felt even hornier as hot breath started to ascend through his neck leaving kisses as a trail “I want to blow your brains out.” Ace lets out a moan at that confession, that raspy baritone had his cock even harder and about to pierce through his jeans, if only that could be possible.

 

But Ace takes his time, even how urgent his cock thought the situation was, he took Sanji’s face with his rough palms and trying to hide the desperation in his voice and the tremor in his body he says against those sweet lips “Give me whatever you want to give me, Sanji”

 

 

Those blue eyes flashed and the grin Sanji gave him was nothing but feral, strong arms shifted him and placed his back slowly against the bed as Sanji’s lips traveled down his throat. He let out a sigh when teeth scraped around his collarbone and a moan when a tongue flicked his left nipple, Sanji closed his mouth around the soft bud and sucked it until it became hard against his mouth, Ace arched his back shamelessly tangling his hand in blond hair and pressing Sanji’s head closer, he feels the blond’s grunt and loses it when Sanji sheds out his teeth and grazes the sensitive skin.

 

_Good God_

 

Sanji kisses softly the tender bud one last time before moving towards the right nipple, leaving in his wake a trail of wet kisses and Ace cannot avoid the feeling that he is being tasted quite literally by that agile tongue. Sanji starts applying the same treatment to the sensitive skin while his hand travels down the brunette’s stomach. Ace barely feels how his belt gets undone and how his button comes off easily under deft fingers, but he definitely feels when Sanji’s hand dives under his pants and palms his erection over his underwear.

 

 

_He really wants to kill me_

 

 

The blond starts to move his hand in a circular motion over Ace’s erection, not quite grabbing the aching hard-on but teasing the tip mercilessly and it’s exactly then when he pulls out his teeth around the nipple, that his hand finally grips the rock-hard cock. Ace doesn’t even have an opportunity to stop the moan from his throat and Sanji loves it.

 

Actually, Sanji loves everything about this moment, the way his lips glide against the tan skin, the way it tastes, the way it pulses, the way his tongue dips against the tight six-pack that Ace had been building since he was just a boy and the way his teeth sink in the tender flesh just beside the belly button. He loves every second, every sensation, every sound the other man makes, every new emotion discovered. His chin reaches the rough denim and suddenly he’s afraid that he doesn’t have enough courage to do what he had fantasied for so long.

 

He lifts his eyes slowly, admiring the beautiful landscape of tanned skin and hard muscle; he sees the tight belly and the well-formed pectorals heaving with each breath, and just at the end, those dark eyes looking at him with a hunger and a desire so strong that Sanji feels his own neglected cock throb in the restriction of his clothes. Those eyes have a fire so intense that for a moment he is frozen.

 

 

But then, everything happens.

 

 

And it’s his instinct moving him, his own hunger. His teeth bite the pull tab of the other man’s zipper and oh-so-slowly he drags it down until it’s fully open, his eyes never leaving Ace’s. He pulls the pair of jeans, along with the tight black briefs and just like that he has the hottest man he had ever seen completely naked in his bed.

 

And good  _God_  he could die right now.

 

He knew Ace was bound to be big and even when the length was a considerable size, it was also thick and it was so fucking hard that made his mouth water at the sight, even though he had never wanted anybody else’s cock before. But he wanted Ace, he wanted everything the raven-haired man was willing to give him.

 

 

 

Ace had never felt like this before in his entire life. He was usually a guy that had no second thought about going around without his shirt and he was considered loud and eccentric and he did fell asleep more than once on his food. So it was certainly unusual that a certain blond had the ability to make him feel something he didn’t even remember ever feeling before:

 

 

Shy, Sanji made him feel….  _Shy_

 

 

And the feeling of covering his body —most importantly his cock— was almost urgent. Those eyes were drilling him, and Ace could have sworn that he saw the blond licking his lips. And then without any warning, he saw the blond head going down and just when he was literally a breath away from his head, Sanji made a point by looking at him, while he gave a sweet, soft and almost innocent peck to the tip of his dick.

 

The moan was out before he could even think it and then it was Sanji’s soft lips around his head,  _those_  lips around his tip, giving experimental licks that made him shiver. And then it was Sanji’s mouth swallowing him whole and Sanji’s tongue teasing the underside of his cock, Sanji’s hands keeping up the pressure and the rhythm and  _holy shit_ , where did he learn to do that with his  _throat_?

 

It was too much and he could feel his orgasm building. But for some reason, in his brain, it was wrong for their first time to end in Sanji's mouth. He still had things he wanted to do with the blond and that unexpectedly talented mouth was not going to stop him.

 

“Sanji” he breathed out, trying to follow the wishes of his damaged brain “Sanji, kiss me” and because this really was a punishment:

 

 

“ _Please”_

 

 

Sanji's lips were on him as soon as he finished that word, there were many things that Sanji could ignore or act nonchalantly about, but a begging Ace was definitely not one of them. His lips were firm and tender, soft and demanding and when Ace pulled his lower lip with his teeth he felt his cock throbbing inside his pants.

 

“I want you” he tangled his hand between golden strands and pulled the blond for another kiss, Sanji didn’t remember a time in his life when he was kissed like this. Those lips were going to kill him and that hand pulling his hair was driving him insane.

 

 

“I want you now” he didn’t doubt it, it was not in the nature of their relationship ever doubting something between them and right now Ace probably had never been more sincere.

 

Sanji shrugged off his shirt and he placed his hands on the button of his pants when he realized Ace was looking at him with close attention. He cleared his throat so the raven-haired man looked up at him, he liked to tease, he was never going to deny such a thing. He licked his lips and ran both hands through his hair, dragging them slowly over his neck and they descended to tease lightly at his nipples. They continued to go further down and he saw how Ace's eyes descended with his touch until he was pulling down slowly the zipper of his pants.

 

 

Ace was trying very hard to stay put and kept his hands away from the blond. His hard-on was throbbing and his breathing was shallow but he knew what the bastard was playing anyways, probably the blond didn’t know it but he had been playing that fucking game ever since Ace had discovered his hormones. He bit his lip as he saw Sanji opening his pants, he knew it was going to take a little bit of effort since those jeans were tight. He saw the bulge in those white briefs and he salivated at the sight. Sanji moved out of the bed, just so he could pull down his jeans comfortably, and effectively, it took an extra effort around his hips and ass.

 

Something that was even hotter than Ace expected.

 

 

 

Sanji took his time taking off his jeans around his legs, he casually picked them up and actually folded them as he shot a teasing grin to the raven-haired.

 

“Can you hurry the fuck up?” He liked the fact that Ace was so eager, but he didn’t remember being so anxious before in his life. The anticipation was suffocating and he could hear his own heartbeat.

 

The blond’s thumbs were on the elastic band of his briefs (those super tight white briefs that had been Ace’s bane until today) and by hearing the defiance of his best friend he removed his hands as if he was not horny as hell, and casually said “What? You don’t want me to remove these?” He was totally aware that Ace had not seen him naked in a long time, and he was also telling himself that he was not nervous about this.

 

“Sanjiiiiiii”

 

But of course, having Ace like this where he could see how his cock was directly affected by his actions and how needy was right now, made losing his underwear the only option to save planet Earth. And he did it, oh so slowly, he hooked his thumbs on the elastic of his briefs and started to pull them down all for show and for Ace to see. 

 

 

 

Ace, on the other hand, was seeing the best porn of his entire life, the way Sanji moved and how he looked at him: this was Sanji making an  _effort_  to be sexy, this was Sanji  _trying_  to look hot for him, actually working for it, Sanji was already hottest person he had ever known, sexy even if he was sneezing, unearthly beautiful even without his first morning cigarette and seeing him like this, with those white briefs slowly exposing the dark blond hair, how his cock sprung after the elastic, fully erect, completely circumcised (like he knew he was) long and just right… he was probably dead now. 

 

 

And this was heaven.

 

 

“Come here” his voice was coarse and was not sure where it came from, he just knew he needed Sanji  _now_.

 

 

 

Sanji complied, but only because he was nervous as hell. He was not sure what to do and no amount of self-practice had prepared him for this. But of all the things he was expecting, he never thought the moment he would be at arm’s reach from Ace, the black-haired man would just grab him by the hips and basically force him to straddle his face while he enclosed the whole length of his arousal with his mouth.

 

 

Fuck Ace and his years of practice.

 

 

He even had to catch himself by the bed head to find what little balance he could while the man of his dreams was swallowing him whole while grabbing his ass and basically making him fuck his face. He looked down and saw hos Ace slowly dragged his cock out of his mouth while humming around his length, he saw a pink tongue flicking the underside of his head and how those swollen lips kissed his tip. He wanted nothing more than to thrust his cock inside that mouth but those hands were keeping him firmly in place, those fingers were definitely going to leave a mark by tomorrow.

 

He was so entranced by how Ace was slowly making out with his cock, that when he felt a lubed finger circling his entrance, he couldn't help letting out a long moan and move his hips back as those fingers started to put a light pressure at the sensitive skin. Sanji realized then how much he needed the man inside. He was about to ask, fuck, about to  _beg,_ but then Ace swallowed him whole, the tip of his cock touching reaching Ace's throat when he finally entered him. And it burned yes, in the beginning. As Ace kept moving those fingers and that sinful mouth engulfed him, Sanji came to realize all previous experiences he had before were nothing compared to this. The pleasure of being fucked by those talented digits was amazing, and the way Ace swallowed him as if he was the most delicious thing he had ever had before, was overwhelming. He was about to come, almost desperate to do it, but then a firm grip at the base of his cock prevented that and Ace’s mouth released him and the two fingers that were filling him were gone.

 

“I can make you come like this” and Sanji was not sure if he heard a little bit of the smugness the freckled asshole was so naturally enhanced with. But deep down he knew why he was doing it, this was the last chance Ace was giving him to get out of it. A tempting chance, but he didn’t want to.

 

 

Because he knew this was going to be the only opportunity he would ever have.

 

 

Sanji looked at him in the eye and deftly moved his legs so he could straddle Ace's midsection instead. He took the lube and applied a generous amount over his palm and he reached back to put it gently over the other man’s cock. He heard the soft hiss, saw the impatience of the other man through the tightness of the muscles and felt his own cock throb at the sight.

 

Wordlessly as he gazed into Ace's eyes, he lifted his hips and oh so slowly he guided Ace inside. He felt pressure, the thickness of the man’s sex a little bit more obvious at this point. There was a burn but it was less than he thought it would be, he felt how the larger man’s hands trembled on his hips, how the sweat formed on the dips of his muscles. Fuck Ace was so hot it was almost unfair.

 

“You are inside” the blond whispered.

 

_You are a part of me now._

 

 

 

Ace didn't have any time to process or respond, Sanji was so tight, the moment the cook started lowering his hips he felt he was going to pass out. And then, he was brought back to reality when the lithe body above him started moving, slowly and steady and,  _fuck_ , Sanji riding his cock was the hottest thing he had ever seen in his life. 

 

He traced pale muscles with his hands, flicked those rosy nipples and saw how Sanji bit his lip fighting back a moan. He felt how he started to increase the pace and  _Oh fuck_ , he could die right now. Sanji felt so good, so sweet and just right. He decided to thrust upwards making the blond jump and moan at the same time, he saw the grin that flashed through the blond's features. He had challenged him and he already knew he would lose.

 

 

Sanji started riding him as if it was the last thing he will do, Ace was sure that he had never been fucked like this before. The blond was meeting him with a force like if he was in a savate ring and the black-haired man knew he was moaning like if he was being paid for it. But he could not lose that easily. He started stroking the blond's length and that took out the most delicious moans Ace had ever heard. The blond almost lost his balance so he grabbed the bed head one more time, his hair was wet from all the sweat and was sticking on his face, he was the sexiest thing on earth. He had never felt so horny for someone before.

 

The new leverage allowed Sanji to meet Ace's hips so hard the bed started to move, their pace was harsh and grueling and both of them made it a point to intensify each movement. Ace grabbed the cook’s hips, feeling the strong muscles moving, gripping the last bits of his sanity as he came hard inside the blond.

 

It felt like a tidal wave, like breathing again after drowning, it felt so intense and relaxing at the same time that he felt elevated, transported to another dimension. No orgasm had ever felt like this before.

 

 

 

Sanji saw the moment Ace came, his muscles, his eyes, and the guttural moan that left him was one of the sexiest sounds he had ever heard. His movements became erratic and he realized he was close too. Just when he thought he couldn't take it anymore, a calloused hand took his cock and applied the right pressure just below his head, he cried out and spilled his orgasm all over that tan stomach. The blond saw that some of it even reached Ace’s chest.

 

 

It was the hottest scene Sanji had ever seen in his life.

 

 

Warm lips reached him, he realized Ace caught him before he ended up crashing down the larger man. He was kissing him slowly, in such a tender way that Sanji felt tears building behind his eyelids, a kiss so sweet he felt tremors all over his body.

 

 

 

Ace slowly guided him towards the soft mattress, never breaking the kiss, he knew now, he was certain. All the feelings he ever had for the blond were never gone, he realized that the time he would have to be without Sanji from now on will be pain and he was sure that his feelings for him will never change. He knew the words, was certain of them. But before he could say them, it was Sanji’s lips and his raspy baritone speaking them out loud, those words he knew were meant for the blond since that day on the beach.

 

 

“I love you”

 

 

Ace opened his eyes to see Sanji giving him the warmest smile he had ever seen and it made his heart constrict inside his chest.  _And those eyes_ … Those eyes were looking at him with so much love and joy, with so much affection it left him speechless.  _It had always been those blue eyes._

 

His mouth opened, he wanted to say it back, he needed to say it back, after all this time he would finally say it. But those lips were on him again, soft and sweet, violent and firm, just like the sea that engulfed him and drowned him to sleep.

 

 

 

 

~-.O.-~

 

 

 

 

The Sun was shining over golden hair that formed almost a ridiculous halo around that ridiculously over the top handsome face Sanji had when he was sleeping. When he was relaxed, the strong jaw, the sharp cheekbones and those plump rosy lips transformed him into a manly version of the sleeping beauty.

 

This had happened many times before, because of his weird sleeping patterns caused by his narcolepsy, he would wake up before everyone else and thanks to that he had developed this weird hobby of watching Sanji sleeping every time he got the chance.

 

 

Of course, never before Sanji’s leg had been around his thigh and  _of course_ , he had never been able to admire that alabaster skin melting against the white sheets since the blond was so very,  _very_  naked beside him.

 

All he wanted to do right now was to touch every inch of that smooth pale skin, bury his head on those golden locks and sleep until next day with that body pressed against his.

 

 

 

_But…_

 

 

 

He has to go home. His hand stops from moving blond locks from the handsome face. The reminder of what he had done made something within him flinch from the warm body beside him and made him want to run away as fast as possible.

 

 

He was so screwed.

 

 

The blond stirred as if his dread and messed up feelings disturbed his sleep, those long eyelashes fluttered and just like that the world stopped. He sees that first blink and those deep blue eyes look at him still unfocused, the golden strands of hair creating the perfect contrast like the sun above the ocean and Ace feels how his breath catches when those eyes finally focus on him.

 

 

 

He was so  _fucking_  screwed.

 

 

 

Sanji knew that Ace had this weird habit of watching him sleep, and he knows this because most of the time he was able to sense him before he was fully awake. But this had to be the first time in many years that that didn’t happen, and it's ridiculous how exposed it made him feel and how strong was the urge to squirm under those brown eyes.

 

Ace was no help either, he just looks so sexy right now. That tousled black hair, those freckled cheeks flushed by being caught, that prominent collarbone, and good god those pecs…

 

 

“You have to go”

 

 

Sanji was grateful his voice came out so steady. He looked down but to his surprise, he was not feeling sad. Defeated, sure, but not sad.

 

He knew the morning light was going to tear apart that brief moment where Ace had been his.

 

A brief moment that he will keep forever with him, no matter what.

 

 

 

Ace heard him, he knew he was right, as freaking always. But it was very hard for him to tear his gaze away from the person just hours ago was just his best friend, the very first boy he had ever been in love with, the only person in his life who had given him as much happiness as sorrows.

 

 

_Another’s, he will be another’s._

 

 

That’s what he always thought, he had been sure of it. But now, with the realization that the first person that made him feel at home just with his presence, the person who understood him the most, that had been there for him always, unconditionally so, was in love with him, had always been.

 

 

He felt like the biggest imbecile on the planet earth.

 

 

“There’s no need for you to say anything” he heard the blond say. The cook was doing him a favor, thinking of him first, like always.

 

But he had to say something, there was no way he could just stand in silence and just run away from—

 

His rant was rudely interrupted by the soft but demanding bells of his phone's ringtone. He sat down lifting the sheets starting to look for his phone, trying to locate his pants on the floor. Was that Marco suspecting something was wrong? Or perhaps asking him why the fuck he was not at home yet? But it was so normal he stayed the night over Sanji’s, after all, there had been nothing to worry about…

 

 

Well, at least he already established he was totally screwed.

 

 

He finally found the little buzzing thing on the floor just over a heap of denim that was hidden by his shirt besides the bed. When he straightened and saw the screen showing the caller’s name, he had a brief moment to wonder why Zoro was calling him so early.

 

But before his brain started to work out any type of theory the phone was rudely snatched from him by the blond that was now sitting on the bed using the sheets as a coverage.

 

“What?” Sanji didn’t even bother to see who was calling.

 

“Yes, I know that, you green piece of shit.” Ace saw how the blond rolled his eyes in exasperation and he also felt how something within him tug at his insides and made him feel annoyed by this turn of events.

 

“Look. I fell asleep, ok? I promise you I will be there in no time” He saw how Sanji briefly looked at him only advert his gaze again and concentrate to the call.

 

“You do this to me, like, all the time!” Why was this annoying him so much?

 

“You can sleep on the floor while you wait for me, I don't care!” Zoro only interrupted the moment he was about to tell Sanji how he really felt about him.

 

“Yes, I will give you breakfast, again, like always” But why, why was he so mad about the whole thing and this one side conversation he was hearing?

 

 

 

“Now, stop being a little bitch and just wait for me. Bye” The blond hung up and threw the phone on the unmade bed again. Zoro had to be the worst thing that had ever happen to him along with a certain raven-haired man that was so gloriously naked just walking around his room, picking up stuff from the floor, flexing his muscles inadvertently while the sun shone in the right places to cast shadows in the best places.

 

“Can you please put on some clothes?” He massaged his temple and his tone sounded a little bit irritated from the previous conversation with the idiot green haired man, but he is actually asking it as a favor.

 

 

 

And like always, Ace just ignores him.

 

 

“Why is Zoro calling you so early?” Ace's tone was demanding and the way he crossed his arms in front of his chest made him look like he wanted an answer right about now.

 

“Uhhhhhh….” Sanji’s brain is trying really hard to fully understand why Ace is being so aggressive while searching for the right answer. His brain is also trying to ignore how the raven-haired man’s shoulders rise whenever he crosses his arms, and how those biceps pop and stretch against tanned skin that the blond wanted to lick and bite so bad.

 

He is so distracted and confused that his face looks like he was being asked what the capital of Albania was.

 

“… I spar with him on the weekends at 6:00 am in the morning and he  _says_  he’s been waiting for me for two hours, which means he just arrived and this the first time he is at the dojo before me so he had to call me just to annoy me.”

 

 

_Did he just say 6 am in the morning?_

 

 

“What? Since when?”

 

“Uhhhmmmmm…” This had to be the less smart he had ever looked or felt before in his life. “I don’t remember?” Why was this so important to Ace? And why was he still naked? And  _good lord!_ Why it was so hard to look at him in the eye!? “Like, almost a year ago?”

 

“A  _year_  ago?” Ace's sudden outburst caught his attention, and he blinks until he is focused on what the other man is telling him.

 

“Yeah, what’s wrong with that?” he shrugs “You couldn’t go with us because you and Marco go out most of the weekends” He expected the mention of his boyfriend's name to bring some urgency to the dark-haired man that looked like he was not going anywhere and would stay naked forever “Or wake up too hammered to do anything.”

 

 

 

Ace relaxed a little bit and realized he was being an idiot, when he heard his lover’s name it was like a light bulb turned on and he finally realized why he was so mad, and the fact was so annoying and frustrating that before his poise was fully recovered and his mind returned to the right place he blurted out with the most reproachable tone.

 

“So you  _did_  do things with other guys” The grin was fake and he felt like his face was going to melt.

 

Sanji’s expression changed in a second, his face looked like he had been slapped and a deep scowl formed immediately on his features indicating that he was beyond irritated. He glared to the larger man and Ace prepared for the impact that was sure to come. But Sanji just looked down to the sheets and sighed exasperatedly.

 

 

“If you don’t go, I’ll go” he said under his breath. He tossed away the sheets and when his feet hit the floor he went directly for the drawer at the opposite wall while one of his shoulders pushed back the raven haired man.

 

 

“Wait, Sanji—“ He and his big mouth. Will he ever learn? “I didn’t mean to—“ Ace placed a hand on the pale shoulder, trying to make Sanji look around but the blond just shrugged off his hand with fury in his eyes.

 

“How the fuck do you want me to feel?” He is not shouting but his words are loud and clear “I bleed my heart out and now you insinuate I’m a liar?” he resumes his path, the tension in his shoulders visible.

 

“Sanji, it's not that—“ Ace goes after him, and he tries to keep his tone light, trying to brush it as a joke even if he is not really feeling it “It's just that is very hard for me to believe that you never—“

 

At this the blond turned, his face twisted with anger “What? What are you trying to say Ace?” the blond was trying to control the volume of his voice “That I fuck random dudes? Everyone near me that has a fucking dick?”

 

 

He turned around again “What are you still doing here anyway?” he opened the top drawer angrily and took hold of a pair of black boxer briefs and put them on immediately, doing his best to ignore the eyes that were drilling his ass. He pulled open another drawer and took his favorite gray sweatpants to put them on just as fast.

 

When he looked back at Ace, the bastard was still not moving, still gloriously naked and looking at him like if he’s trying to solve a crossword “We established this was just a one night stand, get the fuck away from here before—“

 

 

“I was jealous! Okay?” At that Ace finally moves to pick up his jeans and pulls them on, forgetting his briefs in the process. He runs a hand through his shaggy hair, trying to control his frustration, trying to control his sudden realization that had actually always been a reality when he thought about it. He finally looks up at the blond who is staring at him dumbfounded.

 

 

Well, at least that shut him off.

 

 

“I have always, always been jealous” His tone is strong, like if he is cussing Sanji out, but he is moving slowly, walking towards the silent cook cautiously, looking at him intently, trying to convey his message as best as he could.

 

“All the girls, all those assholes trying to steal my ‘best friend’ title”— _Fucking Roronoa—_ “Anyone really, that stared at you for more than 2 seconds” He was closer now, standing right in front of him, his tone had gotten softer, his heartbeat was slow but his heart was pounding in his chest so loud he was sure the cook could hear it.

 

“I was always jealous because I always thought that everybody else had more chances to be with you than I could ever dream to have” He sees the sharp inhale passing through those perfect lips, the blue eyes bright and shining with unshed tears.

 

“You think this is easy?” He reaches out for the blond’s hand and sees a lone tear running silently down the pale cheek. “I suddenly wake up to reality to find out my dreams were not only possible all this time” he feels his own eyes stinging, his grip trembling “But now they are impossible all over again?” He sees Sanji trying to say something but words seem to fail him.

 

 

 

“Sanji, I love you” Ace confesses, and despite feeling sad, he feels relieved. He sees the heartbreaking smile forming on the blond’s face and how the tears spill from those blue eyes, he had never been so happy and miserable at the same time in his life

 

 

 

Ace reaches out to wipe the tears from those pale cheeks “I have been head over heels for you basically my entire life” Sanji actually chuckles a little bit, all the pieces falling together. All those times Ace put up with his stupid shit, those quiet moments where his touch and hugs would linger longer than usual, that occasional blush that would appear if Sanji stared at him for too long, the way he would brush his hair out of his eyes if they were alone and the only reason why even when he was with someone else he shared his birthday only with him, even after New Year’s day.

 

 

“You have always been first, don’t you know this?” he smiles too, feeling the warm tears running down his own cheeks. Sanji moves forward and kisses the places where the tears have fallen, he whispers against warm skin “I love you too” The blond slides his arms around his neck and holds the larger man closer, both of them breathing in and out each other's presence before the moment vanished. 

 

 

 

Sanji is not sure how long they held each other like this, but the feeling of Ace around him, enveloping him in a warm embrace, the strong heartbeat against his own chest, his musky essence and the soft black hair made him feel safe, at home. In a place where he had finally found himself not needing anything else, not wanting anything else.

 

 

But he knows, he knows this place is not for him.

 

 

“You have to go” He says softly, barely audible even for himself. His heart breaks anew when he feels the tension from the other man, and the moment is lost. Ace moves to look into those blue eyes, and Sanji’s chest hurts from the pain that is so obvious in the raven-haired man’s eyes.

 

Sanji cups the larger man’s face in such a tender manner, he moves black hair out of clear brown eyes and says in that soft voice “You have to go now, because you love Marco too.”

 

 

And it’s true

 

Ace knows is true, without Marco his life would not be the same, the man has become a refuge for him, in his darker days he was his rock, a fantastic guy that had been there where he needed him the most and put up with his shit like a champ, three years together and up until yesterday he could have sworn it had been just weeks.

 

But no, they were  _three_  fucking years, he had a life with him, little traditions with the man, a language they had developed for each other and only they were able to understand, countless internal jokes, a home that they had built together.

 

 

_A future._

 

 

And this morning all of it seemed… Made of sand. A long commercial in this shit show called life and he didn’t even realize.

 

 

He sees Sanji putting on a deep blue sweatshirt over a white tank top and before it covers the pale skin he sees a small bruise on his chest. Made by him, his lips had been there just hours ago. He picks up his white shirt lying on the floor, pulling it up his head in a robotic way. He needs to get his mind together, think about what is going to happen when he sees his lover again. And then all of a sudden he realizes—

 

 

He needs to tell Marco.

 

 

And just as if the blond was reading his mind he hears him say “I know this is up to you—“ Sanji was looking at the ground, with the excuse of tying his shoelaces “But I think it will be better if you don’t say anything to Marco”

 

When he looks up Ace is already looking at him, confusion tracing his features “This was not your idea” he says, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible “This was me, throwing myself at you” his hands go deep inside the pockets of his sweatshirt “And getting what I wanted, I guess” He shrugs trying to dismiss it as if it was nothing.

 

But Ace knows better, and he knows Sanji is feeling guilty. He knows it is not Sanji’s fault, he is sure. The one that did a commitment with Marco was himself and no one else, he was the one that had failed and risked their relationship. But just like the blond said, this was up to him.

 

“I will think about it”

 

That final answer was enough for the blond, who picked up his cross-body bag and placed the strap across his shoulders and started his way to the door.

 

 

On their way out, both of them stopped to the bathroom to take a quick piss, wash their faces and rinse their mouths with mouthwash. Sanji, of course, brushed his teeth and combed his hair, even made sure to apply moisturizing.

 

Once out of the bathroom, he saw Ace putting on his boots that were left in the living room, near the couch, where everything had started.

 

Sanji took a look to his surroundings, the morning light flooded freely through the large window panels on the wall, the voile white curtains doing nothing to stop it. They moved softly as the breeze of the city outside came inside the room through one of the upper windows Sanji forgot to close. He saw Ace looking to the couch where they would have ended up having sex if it wasn’t for him saying the bed was better. Sanji was grateful he took that decision.

 

The larger man stood up, and there in the middle of the room, he saw him doing the same thing he just did seconds ago. For a brief moment, he remembered the day they went out to purchase said curtains. Ace had wanted to purchase the same, but in color orange and Sanji had argued that the room would look like if it was on fire, but Ace said he didn’t want blue, because then the place would look like a fucking aquarium. After spending an  _hour_  arguing why it was actually cool that the room looked like if it was in flames and why it was relaxing the underwater feeling, Ace had relented and let the blond have his blue curtains, but at the last minute, Sanji had decided on white.

 

When he saw Ace smiling at the soft fabric that moved dedicatedly with the wind, Sanji’s throat tightened at the thought that perhaps, he was remembering the same thing.

 

 

No, that was insane.

 

 

“You know, in the end, you chose the right color” At that he turned around, a wide grin on his face, the same one he used when he told the saleswoman he always let him win the arguments so he kept feeding him. Sanji smiled back at him and felt butterflies in his entire being. 

 

 

"I told you, I was right" Ok, they were both insane.

 

 

Sanji really hoped the raven-haired man didn’t treat him differently so they could still share memories like that one. Suddenly remembering something, he ran a hand across his hair, and let out a loud sigh. There was still something else he had to share with his best friend, but before he did, he was interrupted.

 

“You still have to give me my birthday hug”

 

Sanji was taken back for a moment, forget the fact he had totally forgotten about his friend’s birthday, he just never thought Ace was going to say something like that after everything they went through. And suddenly he knew this was him saying everything was going to be all right, that nothing will change between them and he will be there for him, like always…

 

Since always

 

Unbidden, a smile appeared on his face “You’re such a kid sometimes, you know?” But he moved nevertheless, dropping his bag on the floor and walked to the middle of the room, complying with his friend’s request. He lifted his arms and let himself be swept away by the heat of Ace’s body. He inhaled deeply the essence of the other man, buried his hands in black hair and before he knew it they were kissing.

 

 

The kiss is long and slow, strong and right. Sanji feels the larger man’s hands on his hair, they are gentle and hold him delicately, angling his head to deepen the kiss. He can't stop his own hands from running hungrily through the other’s back, glorying with the feeling of strong muscles that tense and relax as he touches them. He feels like floating, elated, taking a moment to realize he had never been kissed like this before. His chest hurts, his lungs burn, but he doesn’t want it to end, not yet.

 

 

They separate slowly, both panting softly, drinking each other’s image, burning it to their memory. Ace is still holding Sanji’s face like if it’s the most precious thing ever, and then he sees the blond grinning up at him, his eyes shining with mirth.

 

 

“Happy birthday” Sanji said, with a breathless voice that caused a small shiver to run through the larger man’s spine. Ace placed a soft kiss on his forehead and hugged him again, burying his nose in blond hair. “Thank you” he breathed out only for Sanji to hear.

 

 

They separated from each other, with a smile on their faces. The blond picked up his bag on the way out and gave Ace his leather jacket, teasing him that he always forgets something everywhere he goes, and before Sanji locked the door of his apartment, they are back to their good old banter.

 

 

 

~-.O.-~

 

 

 

They arrived at the parking lot from his complex, located in the basement. Ace’s motorcycle is instantly visible, a combination of black and a loud red paint that, even though he objected at first, it looked quite good together and made the owner look like a badass. But, of course, it was a Ducati SuperSport, the thing could have rainbows all over it and you would still look badass enough.

 

Parked right next to it was his dark blue Mazda 3, Sanji noted the two machines contrasted quite nicely. Obviously, that didn’t mean anything.

 

He sees Ace moving his long legs to straddle the powerful machine, something he secretly enjoys, perhaps because of the position itself. Those jeans looked so good while they stretched against those muscular thighs, Sanji’s eyes followed lazily the curve of the black-haired man’s spine that ended on that perfect ass. Distantly, he hears the sweet purr from the engine that indicated Ace was about to leave.

 

A nervous cough makes his blond head shot up and he sees the black-haired man fidgeting with a helmet between his hands. He makes a gesture with his head, that jerky motion that points at the empty space behind him. The message was clear, but it seemed Ace had to say it out loud:

 

“Let’s go.”

 

Sanji shakes his head immediately and perhaps with more urgency than necessary, like if Ace had just offered him to kill a kitten or something just as awful “Nah! Don’t worry, the dojo is just a few blocks from here, I’ll walk”

 

Ace just shots him an annoyed look “It’s ok, I can give you a ride” He stretches his arm to offer the helmet to Sanji, grabbing with his other hand his own helmet, Sanji never lets him ride without one.

 

Sanji lifts his hands like if Ace is having the worst idea ever “We are going in two different directions, really I don’t mind—“

 

 

“I mind!” Ace is done negotiating, he throws the helmet at the blond idiot that after openly ogling at him is refusing him so profusely. Sanji caught it as a reflex and after rolling his eyes he put on the damn thing, not before he saw the blush spreading over his nose. The blond pulled the strap of his bag to use it across his shoulders and got on the motorcycle without any other complaint.

 

Ace has a second to register that those long legs,  _oh so long legs_ , are around him, those powerful thighs encasing his like a matching piece from a puzzle. Sanji placed his hands firmly on his waist, and when he started backing up he feels the solid chest on his back and for a brief moment, as clear as this morning, he gets the image of the blond taking him from behind, thrusting with the force he knew was hidden in those hips and he feels the shudder across his back that made him visibly tremble.

 

“You ok?” That smoker’s baritone hit his ear deliciously and he just jerked his face away and nodded, indicating that there is no problem even though he had not moved for almost a minute since his dirty mind paralyzed him on the spot.

 

He accelerated the engine and he was off the street, trying to focus on the task at hand, trying to visualize the street in his mind drawing his path towards his destiny. Trying to remember each traffic light, each sign, all the buildings that he will see in his way.

 

 

But it’s useless.

 

 

All his mind wants to focus on is how firm Sanji’s hands feel is on his waist, the way his thighs will grip just slightly every time he turned, the defined chest that will fill the hollows of his back every time he hit the brakes, the feeling of one of those slender but strong arms surrounding him, while the owner turned to yell at a reckless driver.

 

He was about to laugh at Sanji’s creative obscenities, but he got distracted by the feeling of his heart trying to make his head explode when Sanji accidentally brushed one of his nipples while he readjusted on the bike.

 

What the fuck is happening? Sanji was his best friend, giving him rides was next to sharing insults in how common the actions were, how ordinary, how much of a routine they shared, they had done this a couple of thousand times already.

 

He really,  _really_  wanted to keep things with Sanji as normal as possible things could be after you had amazing sex with the crush you had since you were 13, that also happened to be the best of the best friends you have. Ace knew somewhere in the unconscious of his libido, Sanji had always been the hottest material he had in storage when he was alone at home and found himself in the shower with, perhaps, more tension than necessary. And  _perhaps_  in the depths of his mind, he always knew if the opportunity presented itself he would not be able to reject it.

 

But why after all of that happened his body feels electrified with just a motorcycle ride? Wasn’t the tension already liberated? Why the fuck he was acting like a teenager that had raging hormones instead of blood?

 

From his right side, Ace was able to see their destination approaching, the sign he had a little bit more than a month of not seeing.

 

‘Shiro no kyōdo’ were the words embed in white over a golden background that rested above the main door of the building, made completely out of wood. The traditional style completely broke the city scheme of tall buildings made of concrete with lots of windows. The parking lot was surrounded by bamboos, the vibrant green color and soft noises they made when the wind passed through made you feel immediately relaxed. Or was supposed to, at least.

 

Ace found the nearest parking lot and noted the dark forest-green Harley parked next to him. Giving it a dismissing glance, he turned to signal they had arrived at their destination but Sanji was already moving his legs, the motor still running and the black-haired man took a moment to realize how chill the air felt without him.

 

“Well, I guess I’ll see you later then.” Sanji was looking down at the strap of his bag, doing his best to look busy by trying to readjust it.

 

“Yeah, I’ll give you a call to go out probably next week” Sanji’s head suddenly jerked up and he gave him a funny look. but then his eyes clear, and his answer is stammered “Oh, yeah, yeah, sure, don’t worry, I’ll see you until next week” He scratches the back of his head and smiles shyly at him while his cheeks turn crimson.

 

Sanji must be one of the few people on planet earth that looked cute and hot while they blushed. He swallowed thickly and knew he had to go home. He put his helmet back on and then he took off, turning left from they came from. Trying desperately to clear his mind from creamy skin and blue eyes.

 

Ace needs to have a clear head, he is about to see Marco who has no doubt prepared something for him like he had done in the previous years, just right after he returned from Sanji’s place. He needed to know how he was going to say things, should he tell him right off the bat? Not going around the bushes? Perhaps he could wait for a while and then drop the bomb in the middle of dinner?

 

 

_Fuck_

 

 

What was going to happen? Was Marco going to yell at him? Hit him?...  _Leave_  him?

 

The thought terrified him, he felt all his muscles tense for a brief moment, his stomach was a tight knot and his heart was pounding so fast that he was starting to feel dizzy, his vision clouded, and fuck if he didn’t concentrate now he was going to fall asleep.

 

 

“ _Since always, idiot, since always”_

 

 

He remembered that fond smile, the feeling of having him so close, those blue eyes regarding him closely, filled with affection.

 

His vision was back, sharper even, his heartbeat found a strong and steady pace, he felt almost relaxed. He was sure now, he will tell Marco in the first possible opportunity, and whatever happened, he will be at peace with it. He had always made his own choices since he was little, and this time was no different, whatever was going to happen, so fucking let it happen.

 

Before he made his last turn, he silently begged to whatever force was listening that Marco didn’t hate him for what he did.

 

 

 

 

~-.O.-~

 

 

 

 


	2. Denial

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... First I would like to apologize for a couple of things. I actually have a very hard time understanding this platform (almost like all the time), so this was never intended to be a one chapter story. Like... didn't you feel this was not over yet? And it was perhaps frustrating to see it was? So, I'm sorry about that. I realized until I read a review that the story was not published as I wanted and it was marked as finished.
> 
> I'm also sorry this took so long to be cleared up.
> 
> That being said, I am astonished to see the support the story has. I am so thrilled that I'm not the only one who loves the idea of these two. So thank you very much for all your kind words and all the kudos and mostly for taking the time to read my crazy stories.

 

 

 

 

 

~-.O.-~

 

 

 

 

 

“Fucking finally!”

 

 

Zoro was sitting in the middle of the room, shirtless, his skin covered in sweat. The light from the upper windows flowed inside the room that was completely made out of wood and made his tanned skin glow as the shadows played in the dips and hollows of his muscles and scars that adorned his body.

 

 

The discipline the man used to command his muscles to stay as still as it was humanly possible made him look like a statue.

 

 

Realizing that he had sounded much more irritated than he actually felt, he cracked his eye open, the one that didn’t strain under his scar, and saw the blond head entering the room. He had tried to meditate, but something about the tone the blond idiot used when he answered his phone call had distracted him from his routine since his mind was too busy thinking all the possibilities of what exactly could be wrong.

 

 

Not that Sanji actually mattered to him because he was his friend or anything, nope.

 

 

He was about to say something but then the blond interrupted him in that super annoying bitchy tone he loved to use with him and said:

 

 

 

“I don’t want to talk”

 

 

 

The room's walls were filled with racks that held different shaped wooden swords and the Chesnut floor was covered with mats. The place had a double-height ceiling and the light filtered through the windows that were at the top of the room.

 

Sanji tossed his bag and started pulling the shoelaces from his left foot in a fashion that could only be described as aggressive and almost desperate. He tossed his shoes and walked towards the middle of the room where he was sitting in a Padmasana posture.

 

 

“Ok, _princess._ It's not like I wanted to anyways”

 

 

Zoro closed his eye one more time, not even bothering to tell the blond the dressers were not here or that it was not ok for him to leave his shit scattered around. He was trying his best not to get annoyed at the blond since it was obvious that something had really happened. 

 

Zoro had asked Sanji earlier in the week if they were really going to train this weekend since he was aware that Ace was lucky enough to have his birthday on Friday, just after New Year. _And_ he also knew that instead of celebrating his 25th birthday in a big party getting toasted with everybody —like a normal freaking birthday party on a _Friday_ night after work should be— he was going to spend that wasted Friday night honoring that little sick tradition they both had of only spending that day with each other and was already aware of the blond idiot’s plan of dropping the big bomb on the black-haired man’s life.

 

 

He had just wanted to make sure he was not going to waste his time waiting for his ass.

 

 

The blond had made it look like if he had asked if the sky will be blue tomorrow and he just scuffed at his stupid ideas and informed him he will be expecting him at the same place and the exact same hour to supposedly kick his ass.

 

Zoro had tried and had done all the possible remarks during his short visit at the Baratie a couple of days ago about the little tradition not being healthy, at all. But he was thoroughly ignored, like always, by the stupid blond that just continued chopping his onions.

 

 

The green-haired man looked up, just in time to see the blond removing his hoodie and throwing it aside. He became all pale glory with a white tank top in just a second, the light from the windows doing nothing to hide the lines from the cook's body.

 

It was no secret that Ace at some point in his life had had the biggest crush for the blond, and he couldn’t blame him, really. Sanji was the worst person he knew temper wise, but his body and face were a knockout and even when he will never say it out loud, he was an excellent fighter with a kind heart. But the idiot curly-brow was also the worst for realizing too late about how he felt and even he had told him he had to own that mistake at some point.

 

 

Fuck if he didn’t know about realizing things too late.

 

 

“So, did you tell him?” He pried, looking directly at the blond, his tone as dismissive as possible.

 

 

“I told you, I don’t want to talk about it” The tension that adorned the cook’s voice was new. He was not angry or sad. There was something Zoro could not quite point out and he felt bad for the blond, he ached for him, he had been in that exact situation before.

 

“Then hurry up, I need the practice” He tried to dismiss it. Anyways, he was having a competition next week and even though it was a pain for him to admit it, the blond had shown him a couple of movements that had helped him in the past.

 

 

“Well, for what I saw a couple of days ago, yes, you desperately need it.”

 

 

_Ah_

 

 

That was more like it.

 

 

He saw the blond grinning at him while he started stretching his legs, one by one, behind his head. He made it look so easy.

 

It wasn’t, _at all_ , he had tried, he had almost pulled a muscle and his back hurt for the rest of the day.

 

 

“Let’s not talk about desperation blondie, you certainly win me over”

 

 

He stood up and saw the look in Sanji’s face and for a moment it was like if he had struck him across the face. But then the expression changed, and Zoro saw the tension in the man’s features, the shadows were suddenly deeper and those eyes turned cobalt.

 

 

“Fucker” he murmured.

 

 

_Oh_

 

 

He was mad?

 

 

“Let’s get to it then”

 

 

He saw the posture on the man changing, the muscles on his shoulders jumping, his core tightening and his balance shifting to the balls of his feet. Is not that Sanji didn’t train seriously with the swordsman, is just that Sanji’s stance was usually relaxed, trying to show he didn’t care, playful even. This time Zoro’s hackles rose at seeing the posture of the cook, his gut telling him he needed to be a little bit careful.

 

But, ignoring his own advice he feigned a right with his fist, almost carelessly. Not only the cook dodged easily, but he moved so fast that two kicks landed in his right side, and bells sounded in his head when he suddenly saw the third one colliding with the side of his face.

 

 

“Take me seriously!” the blond shouted at him, pausing just to let Zoro know he was not fucking around.

 

 

“Yes, ma’am!” Zoro did a conscious effort of not rubbing at his soon-to-be bruised cheek.

 

 

Sanji launched to the swordsman, Zoro readied himself, his stance solid and just when he was between reach he dodged the fist aimed to his face by making his hands touch the floor while his spine bent backward. Sanji brought his legs up and was able to kick a thigh and a solid left flank with his right foot.

 

Zoro didn’t waste any time and taking advantage of the blond’s full outburst decided to grab the leg at his side and bring down the cook. But Sanji didn’t lose his balance as Zoro expected, he took advantage of the momentum and brought his other leg around the swordsman in middle air and with Sanji’s weight suddenly added on the opposite side where Zoro was trying to pin him down, the swordsman found himself out of balance and was falling down.

 

They landed hard on the floor and the green-haired man didn't even realize the idiot cook had pinned both of his arms using only his legs in a kinda painful grip to Zoro’s standards. To his surprise Sanji was not boasting and yelling like usual, he just looked at him down like he had just been taught a lesson.

 

The blond lowered his head down enough to be the only thing that Zoro could see, that stupid right curly eyebrow rising as if questioning the entire green-haired man’s life. And then Sanji was grinning down at him, that stupid grin that irritated him beyond any reasonable thought because he knew exactly what was he going to say next:

 

 

 

“One.”

 

 

 

 

 

~-.O.-~

 

 

 

 

 

"Are you going to te tell me what happened now?"

 

 

Zoro was trying to show he didn't have problems catching his breath and he was failing miserably. They were both laying on the mats panting. By the third round, Zoro had learned Sanji’s apparently new rhythm and started getting back at the blond.

 

 

"I don't even know where to begin..." the blond said. He felt suddenly relieved that he sounded just as breathless as he was. This practice session with the cook had been one of the best they had ever had.

 

“… You lost your balance by the eighth round because your feet were not placed properly and that made you fall over your ass.” The blond snorted, enjoying his own comment. Sanji lay sprawled opposite to Zoro, their heads almost touching and legs and arms outstretched, he realized the cook was trying to annoy him.

 

 

And of course, he was _excelling_ at it.

 

 

"You are funny as always, cook" he said resigned.

 

 

He heard the breathless laughter coming just above his head “And you are stubborn as always marimo...” It gave him a little bit of satisfaction knowing that the blond was going to have some nasty bruises on his midriff where Zoro’s fists had landed hard. Even his laughter sounded as tired as he felt.

 

"... I'm here trying to help you improve and you take it as a joke" The blond sighed dramatically but Zoro heard the grin between the words.

 

If only that stupid grin could get tired. 

 

Zoro rolled his eyes, perhaps he could provide some sort of praise. It had been a good training session after all, “I think you kinda compensated being late and foodless, shit-cook” His heartbeat was coming down and the reminder of food made him aware he was going to get hungry very soon.

 

“I’m gonna make you food once we get back, jeez. How much more can you complain?” For a smoker Zoro recognized the cook recovered his breath quite fast.

 

 

But, honestly, Zoro was not even mad anymore. Perhaps since he trained with Mihawk he had not felt so exhausted, whatever Ace did to him he had to repeat it.

 

 

And just like if the blond knew he was thinking of the black-haired man he heard a long and loud sigh coming out of the blond’s lungs.

 

 

 

 _Shit_ , that sounded sad as fuck.

 

 

 

Perhaps it was time to talk

 

 

“Sanji, you know you can trust me” His tone was gentle, his breathing steadier and he willed the blond to know his words were true.

 

 

Blonde locks flew around while Sanji propped himself with his elbow and tried to look back at Zoro

 

 

“What did you just call me?!” The blond's surprise was understandable. Most likely, Sanji could count with _one_ hand the number of times he had heard his name coming out of his mouth, but it was damn necessary today. He could feel it.

 

 

“Tell me, what’s up? You told him or not?” His tone was far from impatient, he sounded calm and was not going to focus on the fact that he had barely pronounced the cook’s name in his life. Shit, he sometimes forgets what the hell his name is, so what? Plus, the name-calling sometimes demanded creativity, he was never going to let go of that.

 

 

Sanji dropped back to the matt, a huff of air escaping his mouth as he stared at the ceiling. Zoro followed his gaze and saw the light filtering through the windows, reaching the wooden beams from the ceiling, moving through those soft particles of dust that could entrance you for days.

 

 

“Remember I wanted to tell him two things?” Sanji's voice was softer and it made Zoro worry perhaps just a little bit.

 

 

He ran a hand through his forehead, trying to remove some of the sweat, suddenly comprehending where this was going “Yeah, I remember I told you not to.”

 

 

“You told me not at the same time” the blond contradicted, like always, it was a fucking habit between them.

 

 

“I remember very well what I told you _not_ to say” he was trying to stay patient and comprehensive and all that crap, but Sanji always made it difficult for him

 

 

“Well, I did it anyway” he sounded resigned, a little bit wistful perhaps.

 

 

“And?” Perhaps he was not really a patient person after all.

 

 

 

Another long sigh followed and he heard the cook rearranging his position. Zoro craned his neck to see what he was doing and saw Sanji staring down at him, sitting cross-legged while propping his chin on his palm. He looked like if he was trying to think what to say next, chewing his lower lip and the spiral of his eyebrow getting tighter than usual.

 

 

 

“You know? He looks really cute when he laughs—" He saw him grinning like the fool he was as he continued "—And for some reason, he always laughs about the same parts in that stupid movie, no matter how many times he had watched it” 

 

“Really? There is no much room for laughter in that movie.” Zoro was trying really hard to think just in one scene that could be considered funny.

 

“Yeah, he always laughs at the part with the steak.” Sanji looked suddenly doubtful “You know, now that you say it, I don’t really see why is funny either.”

 

 

Ok, they were getting off-topic, he was not here to write down a critic on a great movie and try to analyze the sick mind of the freckled idiot.

 

 

“So what exactly did you do?” he insisted, his face impassive and stoic like usual.

 

 

“I—…” Sanji ran a hand over his forehead, covering his eyes for a brief moment, and then pulled his hair back with that same hand uncovering both of his eyes. Something Zoro had seen perhaps twice in his entire life.

 

 

 

“I kissed him” he released his hair and looked down at Zoro trying to see his reaction through his fringe, to see any trace of judgment.

 

 

 

And it took _forever_.

 

 

 

But then, the green-haired man was coughing and trying to form words while spurting others and turned around to see at the blond. At some point he was able to finally articulate the word in something that could be described as a yelp:

 

 

“ _WHAT?”_

 

 

Sanji tried not to laugh at the unmanly reaction but was pretty damn well satisfied with it. He decided to go on now that he had already started “I climbed on top of him and kissed him” he flushed a little bit and scratched the back of his head feeling embarrassed.

 

 

“Wow…” Zoro looked so surprised his mouth was hanging open and Sanji wanted to memorize that stupid face forever “You went all out” he heard him saying, almost as an afterthought. 

 

“What did he do?” he asked suddenly.

 

“He demanded an explanation” _begged_ , but Sanji was not going to say that. “And… I told him everything” he shrugged, trying to make it sound as dismissive as possible.

 

“Everything?” The swordsman positioned himself to rest onto his belly, one of his palms cradling his chin and his face full of curiosity.

 

“Everything” he said with a nod.

 

“And then?” And this was one of the main reasons they hated each other so much, this ability of them of knowing there was something more. It was clear the marimo had realized there was something he was not saying and the fact he was right was just so goddam annoying. 

 

 

He did it all the time to him, but extracting the truth from the broccoli-head was funny.

 

 

And the reason why he hated it so much, was because it was so hard for Sanji to explain this part. He  _is_ a ladies man but above that, a gentleman. And he was definitely not the type of guy who goes around telling details about the women he had been with the night before.

 

 _But_ he had never before felt _shy_ admitting he had had an adventurous night.

 

“Well…” he ran a hand through his head “We went back to kissing” he saw Zoro’s eyes go impossibly big and his mouth was still hanging open in awe, it was almost funny if it wasn’t for the fact he felt so ashamed.

 

“No…” he said, answering the green-haired man’s unspoken question “He didn’t push me away” _as I expected_.

 

And then, the swordsman’s face looked like he had solved a mystery of some kind, a face that you get when your brain feels enlightened at the discovery of the correct answer of your morning cross-board just when the letters you had suddenly make sense.

 

“How far did you go?” Zoro’s eyes were even bigger and his tone was full of wonder, at this point he was sitting down looking directly at the blond’s eyes.

 

Sanji then hugged his legs, in the most dismissive way possible, not noticing that was not a dismissive gesture at all.

 

“Hmmmmmmmmm…. Did you notice that moment when I could not kick you in the head and you were able to dodge it and almost grabbed my leg again?” He was trying to say it as if Zoro hadn’t noticed the Sun went up this morning.

 

 

“ _HOLY SHIT!”_

 

 

Zoro’s outburst almost made him jump “You _did_ go all way out! You popped your fucking cherry!!” Of course, Zoro would call it that way, to make everything more humiliating for him.

 

But then, more realization came over to the green-haired man's face and he said “Wow, he must have been really gentle if you can still sit down and kick decently enough”

 

Sanji flushed prettily like the maidens do in the movies and books, ignoring completely the comment the swordsman did about his kicks.

 

“Yes, he was” He admitted and looked away trying to cover his flush with his bangs, totally useless since even his ears were red.

 

He heard Zoro’s cough and when he looked up at him again the swordsman was scratching the back of his head with a face full of confusion, he saw him gesturing with his left hand like trying to catch the words through the air. And then, resigned, he just threw the question out the open

 

“What about?...”

 

“Marco?” the blond finished for him. And then all the previous embarrassment dissipated and a new type of shame came over himself.

 

 

“Well, Ace went back to his home this morning, I told him is not necessary for him to say anything, but -” He ran a hand through his hair, making everything he could to avoid eye contact with the swordsman “I guess that is really up to him”

 

“He should” was the answer of the always righteous swordsman that never makes mistakes and is always the same honest noble asshole, no consequences considered.

 

“I don’t know” he shrugged as he stood up. He just wanted to really end the conversation now, he was still not prepared to analyze all the numerous reasons why he was a piece of shit.

 

 

 

“Look, Sanji” Zoro stood up as well and saw the cook's blue eyes looking at him with apprehension. Of course, is what happens when he says the cook's name  _again_ , on the _same day_  and with a gentle voice to boot “You might think that you are a piece of shit, but you aren’t” He saw the cook’s face, already preparing a contradictory answer, like fucking always.

 

“Ok, yes, you did throw yourself to a guy that is in a relationship, granted. But he is the one responsible for it” He saw the wariness of the cook’s eyes, the way his fists balled at his sides, resisting in accepting this truth because it would mean that the piece of shit is Ace not him.

 

“Besides, I still cannot understand what type of outcome Ace was expecting from this.” Zoro might not have the history that the cook shared with the freckled idiot, but he was surprised that Ace was going to be the type of guy who cheated his boyfriend with the best friend he had a crush on.

 

 

“He told me he loved me…” Sanji’s soft voice cut through the swordsman’s thoughts, like the light cuts through the darkness “That he had this huge crush on me since he was 13” and while the cook kept talking, he looked like if he was answering to the doubts he had himself.

 

 

“And he said he still loves me” Sanji looked at the swordsman’s eyes, searching to find out if the conclusion they both reached was the same.

 

 

And it was. Zoro knew the reasons behind Ace’s actions lay in the fact that he had always loved Sanji, and the moment this idiot decided to throw himself at him there was no other thought in his head except to respond to those feelings tenfold, because they were still there, simple as that. But its simplicity gave birth to complex alternatives, to different scenarios and different types of lives that will be a consequence of this one night of pleasure. He knew he didn’t have to say it out loud, he knew the cook was not dumb enough to not get it.

 

 

And that really didn’t matter either, what mattered was “What are you going to do?”

 

 

He looked Sanji in the eye and saw the readiness of the answer, the stupid stubborn behavior they were both guilty of “There’s nothing to do. What’s done is done. I’ll act as if nothing ever happened”

 

And for a moment Zoro realized he would have answered perhaps with very similar words, shit, most likely he did when he was in the blond’s place “Well, I really cannot say if that is the best thing to do or not...” the swordsman pondered “... or the right one.”

 

“Yup” The blond let out a resigned sigh “Is just going to be really hard to survive tonight’s surprise party”

 

Zoro’s neck suddenly snapped to look up at the blond, his eyes looked beyond shocked, they seemed terrified. And then Zoro’s face looked like if he just recently remembered he had to go to the hospital for a surgery tomorrow but he was in Cancun on vacation.

 

“Holy shit, I just…” Zoro started running his hands through his hair and paced in that erratic way he did that was so annoying.

 

“I forgot something” He finally said

 

“What?” Sanji gave him a look of annoyance mixed with mild worry “The surprise party?”

 

“No!” The swordsman shouted and made the cook flinch.

 

Zoro suddenly stopped and turned slowly towards the cook, he reached the blond’s shoulder and took a big breath before saying “Look, don't get mad at me. I didn’t tell you anything before because I thought if I did you were going to pussy out and will never say anything to Ace”

 

 

He ran a hand through his face and looked the cook in the eye.

 

 

“Marco is going to propose, the birthday party is the cover-up for their engagement party.”

 

 

“ _What?!”_

 

 

 

 

~-.O.-~

 

 

 

 

“W-What?”

 

“You know, I knew you were going to do this as awkward as possible, but this is beyond my expectations”

 

Marco was trying to look as suave as possible, doing his best to keep the smile on his face and the gentle tone in his voice. Doing everything he could to ignore the pain on his left knee.

 

 

That’s how long he had been in this position.

 

 

 

Ace kept looking at the tiny box his lover was offering him, the question still resounding in his head. He kept looking up because just after Marco had said the words he realized all his friends, better known as the “old crew”, were here.

 

 

_All.of.them_

 

 

So his eyes kept going back and forth from the strange background to that tiny box with that golden band Marco kept offering to him. His brain was trying with little success to comprehend why Thatch was not in England, why Izo was not in China, why Jozu and Haruta were not in Tokyo, and why Vista… why Vista kept making crazy eyes at him…

 

They were all in his living room, barely fitting, just like if he was fifteen again and there were no jobs, lifestyles or anything separating them.

 

His eyes suddenly locked on Thatch, and he saw how the man was mouthing words at him, his eyes wide and his hands doing gestures that were getting more and more agitated. Suddenly, he was able to understand the words Thatch was mouthing at him.

 

 

_Wake up, dude!_

 

 

“Yes”

 

 

_Uh-oh_

 

 

Ace looked down, back at the man holding his hand, on one knee, wearing that shirt he liked. Those usually sleepy eyes suddenly widened and his face relaxed.

 

“Really? Are you sure you’re just not talking in your sleep?” Marco cocked an eyebrow, it sounded like a joke but Ace knew him better.

 

“And I’m the one making things awkward” he grinned playfully down at him, feeling his face weird around that grin, doing everything he could to ignore that void feeling above his stomach.

 

Then suddenly claps and cheers exploded from the group at the background and he felt how Marco slipped the golden ring through his finger, while a chill that rattled his bones crept up through his back, seeing the complete relief in his boyfriend’s face and feeling beyond guilty about it.

 

 

 

 

~-.O.-~

 

 

 

 

“So… That was weird”

 

Ace was a little bit taken back at finally hearing a comment from his friend that was in front of him holding a beer. Thatch had started to offer drinks almost immediately after the proposal and had requested the black-haired man’s assistance. At some point, he was left alone with his friend at the kitchen's counter.

 

He suddenly realized that Thatch was in front of him for a reason, since he was purposely blocking Marco from sight who was talking with Jozu in the balcony at the back.

 

“What exactly was weird?” Since for him the elapse of events in the last 12 or so hours were beyond weird, fucking surreal, out of this world, he just wanted Thatch to be very specific.

 

“You know, you’re pretty dumb sometimes Ace” It was amazing how the brown-haired man said this without any bite in his tone. Actually, he was stating a fact, no questions about it, and the really funny part was that Ace knew he was right.

 

So he just scoffed on his beer and said “I know that already, but I still don’t know what the fuck you are trying to say to me, asshole” perhaps he was being harsher than usual but he just felt he was going to lose his mind and perhaps throwing insults at his pompous hair idiot was going to alleviate some of his confusion.

 

He almost yelped when he felt a clap on his shoulder and then Thatch was laughing like he just said the most hilarious joke of all times and then turned around a little bit to see Marco was now talking with Vista.

 

And when Thatch was facing him again he had the most serious face of all times “Look Ace, I knew back then, hell, we all knew back then, you had this thing for Sanji” Just the mention of his name had his heart tripping and he was sure he was blushing “There’s no need denying it, ok?”

 

The larger man ran a hand through his hair, the fluffy hair returning to the exact place where it was. “I will always feel like the biggest jerk for interrupting you guys that night”

 

 

Fuck, he had _just_ been talking about this “Is just that, we always thought you guys would end up together” the other man finally admitted.

 

 

Ace suddenly looked up from his untouched beer to his friend’s eyes, questioning silently “Don’t get me wrong” Thatch lifted his hand, waving it a little bit “Marco is a cool guy. Hell, he is the best guy, and if you hurt him I am so going to break your face” It was amazing how his gestures changed from understanding to menacing “But you and Sanji, well, Sanji for you. Hell… Talk about meant to be.” Ace wanted to know more, learn about the details, but then he looked back where his boyfriend was and saw Izo distract him while he looked back at them. He was closer now, they didn't have much time before he was here with them.

 

“Shit I don’t know what the fuck I am saying anymore, all I know is that you need to pay attention” And it appeared this was the core of the message, the point his friend wanted to reach.

 

“What do you mean?” He knew now why Thatch was talking to him like some undercover agent. He didn’t want Marco hearing any of this either.

 

“Dude, can’t you put two and two together?” Ace shot him a look, indicating he was getting impatient because apparently no, he couldn’t and it was fucking annoying him “The proposal? Basically your birthday? Your day with Sanji? Are you fucking stupid?”

 

 

 

_Oh_

 

 

 

“Don’t you think it will be weird for you to go away to celebrate your birthday with one person, which is already fucking weird, just before your engagement anniversary?”

 

 

Yeah, _that_ will be fucking stupid.

 

 

“Hell, even the cook will know, he wouldn’t want to continue doing it” But Ace already knew that the little tradition will not go any further, and it was exactly because Sanji will no longer allow it.

 

“Look, Marco knows all this. Is no wonder why he wants to separate you from him” He heard a loud and unnatural laugh from Izo, and Marco was looking at them now.

 

Thatch left the beer bottle at the counter and placed his hands on both of his shoulders and looked at him straight in the eye “But I just want you to make sure, once you accept this path, you are turning your back to the other and you have to be prepared for that”

 

He released him and turned around to the fridge. Ace saw Marco getting inside and then heard Thatch yelling a little bit louder than usual “Who’s ready for a refill?” Everybody cheered and when he looked down, he realized his beer was still full.

 

 

Thatch turned one last time and said under his breath “And Ace, since it appears you are choosing Marco, you have to tell Sanji.”

 

 

 

 

~-.O.-~

 

 

 

 

“So, um… Did you tell him?”

 

He was halfway of bringing the glass near his lips to have a drink, he looked sideways at the green-haired man that was at his left. They were at Ace and Marco's surprise birthday/engagement party. Sanji had brought all the appetizers and necessary food for the evening, and after laying out everything in the kitchen and giving his best friend an awkward hug and to his now _fiancé_ a firm but short handshake, he had done everything in his power to avoid the couple. Not that it was difficult, everyone was trying to speak with them at least for a moment, from congratulations to questions, they were both talking with somebody all the time and Sanji was glad for it.

 

He was smoking at the balcony, already starting his second package, not giving a fuck about his nicotine consequences. Sitting in the railing when the swordsman came with the drink he so desperately needed.

 

“My God, I never knew you cared about my life so much” he said sarcastically. He brought the glass to his lips and gave it a big swallow that burned all the way down his throat. It’s sweet and spicy just like he likes it. When Zoro came looking for him with a drink in hand he was pleasantly surprised he brought him Fireball cinnamon Whisky. Dry. His fucking favorite when he was feeling depressed.

 

 

God bless this atheist green-haired asshole.

 

 

And, to his surprise, the swordsman answered: “You know I do." Sanji wanted to tell him that actually no, he didn’t, give him the usually rude retort that will initiate a verbal fight with him, but he felt too emotionally tired for something like that now.

 

“No, I didn’t tell him” He took a drag of his cigarette and exhaled slowly.

 

“Well, he is going to find out eventually you know?” Sanji was getting exasperated. Yes, he knew, was very well aware the conversation with the black-haired man was overdue, but he was also aware of what will happen afterward and that freaked him the fuck out.

 

“One day he’s going to burst into a room expecting to see you and when he finds out you’re not anywhere anymore he’s going to flip out” The swordsman was drinking Jack Daniel’s directly from the bottle and took a long swallow that made the cook grimace.

 

“Burst into a room? Who is he? The Kool-Aid’s pitcher man?” He snorted at his own lame joke and was expecting for Zoro to follow him, but the idiot ignored him, drilling Sanji with his responsibilities.

 

“You need to tell him, he has been your friend like all your life” He was using that gentle voice again and Sanji was starting to realize he had not heard so often before.

 

 

Wow, the idiot was really worried for him.

 

 

“He deserves the right to know you’re going to go to France and most likely stay there” Sanji swallowed hard, it’s been a while since he started planning on going to his motherland to extend the business his father left him. The initial conversations with his staff started back in November and it was already January and he hadn’t told a single word to his fucking best friend about his plans.

 

“Yeah, you’re right” He admitted begrudgingly “I’m just not ready for it” with that, he crushed the butt of the cigarette with his fingers and put it inside his glass.

 

“I know why you are using that shirt as well, by the way” Sanji turned his head so fast it felt his neck was about to snap, surprised at the green-haired man for the drastic change of topic.

 

“What the fuck are you talking about?” He looked down at his Cordings shirt, the dark crimson color complementing his pale features and hair. The custom-made black vest he used over it, accentuated his shoulders marked his chest.

 

 

Of course, of fucking course, he knew his clothes picked by himself looked good on him, but the marimo's accusations were absurd.

 

 

“I know that’s his favorite shirt on you curly brow, I’m not an idiot” He took another big swallow from the bottle and Sanji knew he was blushing furiously.

 

“But what is your point?” He was now embarrassed. Not only to be found out by the marimo, but just how obvious did Ace had to be? Or perhaps he told something to the green-haired bastard?

 

“My point is, you have to let go” Zoro said it with the brutal honesty he needed to hear.

 

It was so hard for him to admit the marimo was right, really fucking hard... But then again:

 

“Yeah, you’re right” He suddenly wished he had a bottle just like the idiot beside him to drown his misery in whiskey. Suddenly, remembering something the green-haired man had shared with him before, and trying to stir the conversation in another direction he finally asked.

 

 

“So, how are things with Law?”

 

 

 

 

~-.O.-~

 

 

 

 

“I knew you were meant for each other since the moment I saw you” Ace was beyond tired of hearing that cheesy, stupid line. Exhausted of being asked about dates, colors, places, venues, restaurants, fucking _churches_.

 

And he was annoyed, beyond his mind of his boyfriend, oh shit, _fiancé_. The man didn’t only answer every question with the patience of the world but he would also look so damn happy while doing it. They had just spent what felt like a lifetime talking about flowers and the man had looked like if it was the most serious topic ever.

 

But in all honesty, the person he was more annoyed at, fucking tired of, wanted to punch in the face with all his might, was himself. What the fuck was his problem? Shouldn’t he be excited about flowers too? About picking shit, and choosing colors? He felt so out of place, he felt like the biggest asshole on planet earth.

 

He brought the bruschetta to his mouth, eating it whole in one single bite and almost moaned at the flavor, forgetting everything as that heavenly piece of food passed through his mouth.

 

 

An unbidden reminder of how much Sanji knew him.

 

 

The smoked salmon and cream cheese combined perfectly over fresh French Baguette that he knew was made from scratch. Spicy and soft flavors came together in his tongue and he sighed happily when he swallowed. Sanji had done all his favorites and he knew the effort invested in them since he had seen the cook preparing them a thousand times before in front of him.

 

He glanced at the balcony to see his friend. It had been a little bit awkward to see him at first, but when the blond got into the kitchen and started opening containers, setting up the table. Dexterous hands arranging the food, adding finishing touches to his plates, it had been natural for him to approach him, easy for him to tease him and then things got back to awkward when Marco decided to ‘snatch’ the bride. After that, it was pretty clear the blond was avoiding him.

 

 

_Obviously._

 

 

But when he saw that Roronoa was the only one with him on the balcony, bringing him a drink, fucking _talking_ to him, no, not fighting, _nope_. That would have been normal, and even fun to watch, but both of them were just talking, and what was worst they seemed so close he felt so stupid for not realizing before just how their friendship had developed in front of him. And that was the fucking cherry on top of all his annoyance and frustration this night had brought him.

 

He saw how Sanji exhaled smoke from his lips up to the sky and then continued the calm conversation with the swordsman. The long neck arching back and the strong cords of his trapezius tensing just slightly when he turned to look down at his companion.

 

The blond took another drag, sucking urgently at the stick, and saw those muscles in his neck tensing one more time, those rosy lips moving sideways to exhale the smoke. Fuck, now he knew how those lips felt against his.

 

 

And what a realization, really.

 

 

He was also using the shirt he liked so much, Sanji looked hot as hell in everything he used, the man had proven to look sexy even in his pajamas and his just-woke-up hair. Or perhaps it was for Ace that the blond always managed to look so goddam yummy. But when he was using his favorite color, it was all he could do to stop his hands from touching the blond.

 

He saw how Zoro pulled a laugh out of the blond. He was able to know the sound of that deep rumble just by looking at his friend. He saw how the blond placed an arm around broad shoulders that weren’t his own and leaned closer to see the picture the swordsman was showing at him with his cellphone and saw how the two of them snickered at the screen and flipped the bird to the screen.

 

Oh, they were taking selfies.

 

 

_Why the fuck were they taking selfies and not fighting?_

 

 

“Ace!” the sound of two fingers snapping together came near his forehead and his boyfriend, shit, _fiancé_ was looking at him with annoyed eyes.

 

“You already drunk or something?” He averted his eyes when Sanji was apparently editing the picture without moving his arms from the swordsman, effectively wrapping his arms around the larger man.

 

“I’m just a little bit tired” he confessed, pinching the bridge of his nose. In less than 48 hours his life had turned upside down like four times, he wanted to lose consciousness at least a couple of hours.

 

“What did you guys do last night that didn’t let you sleep?”

 

Oh yeah, that was why he was feeling like shit right now, he almost fucking forgot. And it was a whole new feeling for him, feeling shit for feeling so _fucking_ good, so awesomely amazing, after what happened with Sanji. Was the guilt eating him up? _Of course!_ But every time his brain went back to the events of last night, regret was nowhere to be found, and he was glad for it.

 

“Sanji moves around a lot when he sleeps” he lied, actually surprised that it was not true anymore. When they were kids the blond ended up on his side of the bed taking all the sheets.

 

“You slept in the same bed?” Oh fuck, he was such a fucking idiot, was he mentally challenged or something?! _Of course it was weird sleeping in the same bed!_

 

“What? You wanted me to sleep on the couch? While princess there slept in his big ass bed? Hell no!” Was his voice raising to that crazy level of high pitch? Perhaps.

 

Marco raised a questioning eyebrow at him, and then just shook his head annoyed, of course. “I’m going to the bathroom, keep them entertained ok?” And without any warning he leaned over and kissed him softly on the lips.

 

Like he usually did it, as he had always done it, why was this so weird again?

 

“Sure babe” his usual answer. He downed half of his beer when he saw Marco turn around and head over the bathroom. He was on the kitchen island grabbing more appetizers when his eyes trailed over the balcony outside where the apparently two besties were laughing again. _No_. He thought to himself. _That’s my fucking title._ And before he knew it he was directing himself at the balcony.

 

 

 

 

~-.O.-~

 

 

 

 

“So, what is this? You’re not killing each other anymore?” He saw the two heads jerking his attention from the phone to stare at him with big eyes.

 

 

_Oh wow, so smooth Ace, good for you._

 

 

Sanji looked genuinely surprised, his eyes wide and his cigarette loose between his lips, while Zoro openly glared at him. He was trying his best not to return that glare but then the blond spoke up, his social nature avoiding any stupid confrontation “Nah, after today’s training it would too easy to beat down the Marimo here.”

 

Ace still didn’t like the way the blond just leaned on to the swordsman’s shoulder like his elbow belonged there “Hey! You ended just as bad, I gave you that bruise!” The swordsman turned his attention towards the cook, pointing his index finger at him.

 

“While grabbing my thigh which was completely uncalled for!” Now Sanji pulled away, while he started hollering at the swordsman and pointed his finger at him as well “And against the rules!”

 

“There were no rules at round 18!” The swordsman swatted away the pale hand like if it was the most offensive thing in the world.

 

“We decided that on round 22!”

 

“Yeah, when you decided to pull my hair!”

 

“It was in the way!”

 

 

 _Oh yes, this was more likely, he felt better now._ He put a mini burger in his mouth and saw how close those two were from kicking or punching each other and the world made sense again.

 

 

But Sanji was still sitting on the railing, and while he trusted his friend’s balance he realized the blond was holding a bottle of whiskey and sometimes he tended to be a little bit over-protective with him. Anyways, he kinda felt responsible for the whole fight “Oi, oi, stop it you two! I was actually kidding!” He held up his left hand in surrender while he held the platter of food with the right one.

 

 

 

Zoro jerked his head to glare at the black-haired man and then something caught his attention. He grabbed the other man’s left hand and whistled when he saw the ring.

 

“Shit Portgas, your man didn’t repair any expenses.” He actually didn’t know what the fuck he was talking about, he couldn’t care less. But he heard Nami saying that it was a fine piece of jewelry.

 

“I have to admit it-” he kept talking, the sudden awkwardness coming from Ace was almost palpable, perhaps in a way he was being this inconsiderate because of the alcohol, this was his third bottle anyways, but he wanted to deliver a message, he didn’t like the idea of someone toying with Sanji’s feelings.

 

“I never thought you would be the kind to get married” It was true enough anyways, and he was a bastard, but an honest one.

 

 

 

Sanji blinked twice at the weird conversation in front of him, he had fallen silent the moment Zoro decided to attack the birthday boy, feeling tense at the words coming from his friend’s mouth. Sanji thought he was the only one who thought that way and it was bothering him for completely different reasons.

 

 

 

“But congratulations.” The green-haired man smirked and released the dark-haired man’s hand.

 

And in a more brusque way than necessary

 

“Don’t fuck it up.”

 

He wanted to add more, but he felt the tension coming out of from the cook as well, and he was willing to cut Sanji some slack. Hell, from where he was, what he had experienced himself, he was always going to defend the blond beside him.

 

 

 

“So… when’s the wedding?” Sanji asked, trying to smooth things over, exhaling smoke nonchalant.

 

“Yeah, what color scheme you’re choosing?” Zoro asked with a deadpan face, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

 

Ace scratched the back of his head, feeling completely confused, one moment he was being basically attacked by the green-haired _asshole_ and then he was being asked this stupid little things he really didn’t know how to answer.

 

But without giving him the chance to response Sanji continued “Do you know who your groomsmen will be?”

 

“What do you feel about doing a wedding in spring?” Zoro placed a hand under his chin, and that’s when he realized. These two idiots were barely keeping it together.

 

Zoro and Sanji exchanged looks and laughter roared out of them, the blond actually had to grab the swordsman’s shoulder otherwise he was going to fall from the eighth floor at laughing so hard.

 

But Ace felt relieved. He also thought all of that shit was stupid as fuck.

 

“Oh my god, did you see his face?” Zoro was whipping tears of his eyes by now. “He was actually trying to think serious answers!” the man slapped his knee and resumed laughing.

 

Sanji kept repeating “- in spring!!” along with other nonsense and more laughter. Even Ace had to laugh a little bit too.

 

“Ok guys, enough” He was trying to look offended, but a laughing Sanji always made him happy.

 

 

 

 

~-.O.-~

 

 

 

 

Long soft hair was suddenly in the middle of them while Nami squished her way between them, pressing a little bit onto the blond, making the chef feel elated for a moment before he heard her voice.

 

“Jeez, don’t you think Marco is trying very hard to make a point here?” They were at the back, they just finished singing happy birthday for Ace and the rest of the people were busy taking pictures of the couple while grabbing some cake, everything was loud noises and random claps.

 

 

And still, Nami’s comment had resounded inside his head like a bell. There was something very alike in Sanji’s thoughts right now. “What do you mean?” asked Zoro beside her. Taking another swallow from his bottle all of them were looking at the very uncomfortable freckled guy who was being fed chocolate cake by his fiancé.

 

 

“Well, for starters he did the engagement party on the same day he got engaged.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, a gesture that Sanji found incredibly endearing.

 

“And-“ she dropped her voice in a whisper and both men tilted a little bit to hear her better, doing their best to look nonchalant “He immediately posted a selfie on Instagram when they got engaged. The caption read ‘he said yes’ and Ace just looks so weird, so awkward, it's almost painful.”

 

 

Nami paused when all of them heard the sound of acoustic strings at the front. Apparently, Franky had found his guitar “It’s all just so…”

 

 

There’s a popping sound, and the three of them saw how confetti was falling down a tube the blue-haired man was holding, but Sanji heard the word clearly as a bell, resonating through his head, is the first word he thought ever since he heard the news.

 

 

_Desperate_

 

 

 

 

~-.O.-~

 

 

 

 

“Hey, I’m sorry about before” Sanji passed a clean but wet dish to the freckled man beside him.

 

 

Ace grabbed it and started drying it and saw the twitch at the corner of the blond’s mouth, the idiot was trying hard to contain his laughter. “We shouldn’t have laughed like that” the blond tried, he really tried to hide it but he was so obvious.

 

Ace rolled his eyes and said “It’s ok” and had to add “And it was actually hilarious, you can laugh now”

 

Sanji snorted while he was washing a big pot “It was just so funny, that idiot’s face” he kept chuckling to himself and kept mumbling the spring wedding phrase.

 

Ace sighed and could not help to add “You two get along pretty well lately, huh?” and the bitterness in his tone shouldn't be so evident.

 

“You even got all lovey-dovey there in the balcony and took a selfie cheek to cheek” The cup he was holding might have creaked under his grip.

 

“What? No!” The cook defended himself and turned around to see at the unconscious green-haired man on the couch, who had claimed was not drunk, even though he passed out on the couch the moment Marco went out to drop everybody at the hotel and Sanji volunteered to wash the dishes “He’s just… uh… I think he is my… _ugh_ … my friend?” Sanji visibly shuddered and while nobody will ever know, the same shudder ran through the swordsman’s spine.

 

“Why is that so hard to admit?” the larger man cocked an eyebrow at him.

 

“I really don’t know” The cook was finishing the last of the utensils “That asshole brings out the worst in me” he grimaced.

 

 

“Does he know?” Ace was sure he didn’t have to go into detail about what exactly the swordsman knew and he only saw the blond paused for a brief moment, the silence lasting only a moment until the cook placed the last fork on the dish rack.

 

 

“Yes, he does” The blond turned on the faucet, making sure the sink was clean.

 

 

 

_Is he telling you what big piece of shit I am?_

 

 

 

“So… How are you feeling?” Ace said instead, trying to guide the conversation to perhaps a subject that will not cause so much drama. He placed the cup away in the pantry and decided that everything else will dry eventually on the dish rack then grabbed his beer bottle and decided to take a long swallow from it.

 

“Umm… ok? A little bit sore” Sanji was drying his hands, his fringe falling to cover his face “But nothing that I cannot handle”

 

Ace put down his empty bottle “Sore? Why are you-?” he was caught off immediately and almost swallowed his tongue when he realized the cook was blushing, his brain putting two and two together before he finished his very, very stupid question.

 

He grabbed Sanji by his arms, turning the blond towards him, his grip was gentle and almost shy, he saw those blue eyes looking intently at him.

 

 

Ace swallowed once and then “Sanji, did I hurt you?” Of all things he could live through, hurting Sanji was definitely not one of them and the thought he had hurt him under _that_ situation made him want to punch himself.

 

 

 

Oh, shit. Ace just asked a general question, he had not been talking about… _that_.

 

Sanji realized just how worried his friend’s eyes look, and he feels a little bit guilty, he placed both hands on broad shoulders and looked up to the larger man “No, no, it's not that, it's just…” he feels the blush reaching his ears and he lowers his voice “I think it's because it was the first time and, and-“ He looked down, unable to see those amber eyes.

 

“You can tell me” Sanji could feel that calloused hand moving gently through his hair, removing the fringe from his face. He looked up again, feeling the other man closing in, realizing how now they are chest to chest, Ace’s left hand is resting at the small of his back while the other one brushes his cheek, he knew the freckled man already realized about this.

 

 

 

“I’m sorry” Ace breathed out, but he doesn’t pull away, he doesn’t want to.

 

“And I’m sorry if I hurt you too” The freckled man knew he was always trying to protect him, even though he was sure the blond didn’t need it. But there had been too many times when Sanji had put on a strong façade only to brush him away.

 

“You didn’t hurt me” Sanji lowered his voice and dropped his eyes, he saw blond eyelashes fanning over blushing cheeks and his mouth was suddenly dry. Unexpectedly, the blond reached out to him, enveloping his arms over his neck and burying his face there.

 

“I felt good...” Sanji whispered against his neck, he let out a breath that caressed his skin in all the right ways and added “... fucking amazing”

 

Ace felt a strong tremor running through his body, and was sure as hell Sanji felt it as well, the need he felt right now for the blond between his arms had never been so strong before. He felt it in his groin, inside his chest, through his fucking core. If it wasn’t for the _bastard_ who was pretending to snore on his couch, he was sure he would have pinned Sanji against the kitchen’s island, having his way with those soft lips, his restrain thrown finally the fuck away.

 

 

“I have to go” Sanji breathed out. But the blond made no movement of leaving and Ace's arms didn't budge either. A chuckle rumbled through the blond’s body “That asshole is going to pretend to drool on your cushions as well, you know”

 

 

And this time Sanji did move, those arms sliding from the larger man’s neck, those hands touching his arms and chest as they descended. Ace let him go, with remorse he felt the warm body moving away, the effort of not taking him back and pull him for more coursing through his body.

 

The blond took a step back and Ace was ready to say goodbye, but then, those blue eyes looked up at him and pinned him where he stood. He followed the blond's hands as they undid his tie and unbuttoned his collar, the action almost making him groan. And as if that wasn't enough, he saw that tongue running through white teeth, a predatory grin across the blond’s face, the fucking asshole was teasing him.

 

 

Like if that was necessary.

 

 

He was moving already, his rationality forgotten, and then a deep voice stopped them, so effectively as if a bucket of cold water were thrown at them.

 

“Cook, you’re done with the dishes, let’s go.” Zoro called from the living room that was in front of the open kitchen, obviously irritated by their little 'goodbye' that was getting out of hand.

 

Sanji closed his eyes for a second and took a breath. “Sure thing Marimo, thought you were sleeping”

 

 

 

“Yeah, yeah. Let’s just haul your shit and let’s go” He picked the cook’s large container that had a variety of utensils and basic catering stuff that made this type of things easier for him. Zoro went to the door. The cook just grabbed his messenger bag and put his set of knives inside, Ace behind him, ready to set them off.

 

Pulling the door open, Zoro turned around to regard both flustered men. And then directed a cold glare at Ace and simply said “Good luck” _You’re going to fucking need it._

 

 

 

And with that, he started to go to the wrong way of the hallway. It was ok, Sanji always fetched him. The blond turned around and regarded the larger man one more time, Ace ran a hand through his black hair and was about to say something when a soft kiss on his cheek interrupted him. Sanji was smiling at him, a warm and kind smile that sent a tingle through his stomach.

 

What? Like...  _butterflies_?

 

And then, Sanji bit his bottom lip, the way he always did when he was nervous but happy “Congratulations” he said. He turned around to catch up with the swordsman “Oi, Marimo! It’s the other way!” and with that, the cook was gone.

 

 

He closed the door and while resting his forehead on the hard surface, he realized he really had no fucking idea what he was doing. And that he most definitely, was not blushing over a kiss on his cheek.

 

 

 

 

~-.O.-~

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My grandmother always said that if two people didn't want to marry, they would never enjoy the process of preparing their own wedding. 
> 
> As always, let me know your opinions and comments. Are you liking this direction? Are you feeling the tension? Also, let me know if there are any grammar/spelling mistakes. This time I didn't read the story for one last time since I was desperate to publish it xD
> 
> Thank you for reading! ❤

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you very much for reading.
> 
> This is a story that I wrote a long time ago, if you notice, the POVs are all over the place on some occasions. That is something I keep struggling with but I like to believe I have improved (haha, silly me). Also, the tenses of the sentences, are like... what?
> 
> If you have any comments, any corrections to make, something you think I could include or improve please let me know.
> 
> Now, go on! Go to sleep, get some rest! Or have an amazing day or night :) ❤


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